Valuable Ally
by dantheman00
Summary: On his search for a team to fight the Collectors, Commander Shepard finds himself a very powerful ally. One that may ensure his success in what seems like impossible odds. Watch them fight for the loyalty of his crew, and battle a dangerous enemy for the survival of the entire Human race. Can he save the galaxy, once more? Can the scale be tipped? ME2. (M)Shep/Tali. Logan/Jack.
1. Omega

Afterlife Club: Milky Way

The music blasted his eardrums, the stench assaulted his olfactories, and the taste of alcohol numbed his tongue. All in all, this place is what it usually is...Abuzz. His royal blue eyes scan the entire area, and rest on the Asari dancers.

He had known many names, been to many places, and lived multiple lifetimes. His friends had all moved onto the afterlife, and he was stuck here. He had witnessed small towns turn into cities. He had witnessed planes, helicopters, and other terrible things. His eyes betrayed him. Despite his youthful looks, the man was over three hundred years old.

At one point, he was a superhero. No one remembers those days, though. They were wiped out, and their stories were burnt. The people who spoke of them were abducted, or worse. He had been the only one to survive. The X-Men were a long-forgotten memory, and he preferred it that way. He's never been good with loss, and memories.

A tortured soul, one may call him. However, he was the most dangerous human to ever live, and continued to be so. Even here at the bar, people walked around him. His eyes held a barely controlled fire, a rage that burned the brightest it could possibly burn. His wild hair had a grunge look to it, and an uncontrollable beard sat on his face.

Logan's mind was plagued by the death of his friends. His daughter. It was easier. Now that humanity has spread out so far, he could finally be drunk. It may take Krogan alcohol, but it was better than feeling it. He looked down at his body, and noticed just how fucked up his clothes were. He must smell like a fucking bum. Whatever. His hand reaches into his coat, and pulls out a large cigar. The box he had bought were extremely expensive. Cubans were becoming a rarity. He enjoyed one every year, so as to save them. Other than that, he just buys cheap stogies.

Walking past the many different aliens, he walked straight up to the bar. Ryncol is the only alcohol he's drunk since the discovery of other worlds, and he thanked the Lord above.

"Ryncol. Don't care how it is." He paid, and grabbed the glass. He tilted his head back and downed the glass quickly. The Turian bartender's eyes were the size of saucers, as the human downed a glass of the strongest alcohol in the galaxy.

Logan's throat and stomach burned from the liquor. It was much more potent than any human alcohol, and he enjoyed it. He waved the bartender for more. Due to his healing factor-still heavily in use-it takes much more alcohol to effect him. Even at this potency, he's looking at an expensive night.

That's why he had turned into a bounty hunter. He never took innocent lives, just the scumbags who deserved to be gutted. He was paid handsomely. How could he not? He was the most dangerous-and most skilled-bounty hunter the galaxy has ever seen. His name was unknown, though. He's never given anyone a name. If they ask, he just waves them off.

Four glasses in, he looks over. A Quarian was being yelled at by an Asari. He rolled his eyes, and stood. He trudged over to them, gently using his hands to guide the people around him away from him.

"I know that you stole my credit chit, suit-rat." The Quarian, obviously female, smacked the Asari across the face. He couldn't see her face, but her demeanor was extremely pissed off. The Asari held her face, and looked back. Her eyes were unsettlingly blue.

"Serves you right, _bosh'tet_!" The Quarian yelled, and the Asari raised her hand. When she threw it, Logan's large palm easily caught it.

"I can tell by her scent, and by her heartbeat that she hasn't stole your chit. Leave, before this gets any messier." He growled, and let go of her hand. She looked between the two, and left. Huffing.

"Thank you, misterrr. I think that's how you humans say that." She said, and extended her three fingers to him. He shook it, and nodded.

"I don't like how Quarians are treated. No biggie." He turned, and felt her hand on his shoulder.

"I cannot show you gratitude properly, but I would like to remember you. My name is Raana'Xila nar Moreh. I'm on my pilgrimage." She explained. He nodded, and sighed.

"Logan. A Quarian on her pilgrimage, huh? What's a girl like you doin' out on Omega? I'm not gonna doubt the skill you might have. I just don't like seeing good people sucked into the garbage 'round 'ere." She looked down at her feet.

"I can show you something in return, if you'd like. It won't be much, but it may be something." She said, and offered a hand. He took it, confused. He wasn't nearly stupid enough to lay her. A Quarian girl, especially this young, may die from even touching him. He took a bottle of mouthwash from his coat, and very quickly swished it around his mouth.

She pulled him out of the bar, and towards a ship.

"The ship decontaminates right upon entrance. I figure if my savior can step up for my honor, he should know just who he was saving." She laughed, and he looked over. He had never seen a Quarian without their mask, before. It's certainly entertaining trying to guess. By their shape, he could only guess they looked human. He could see their eyes and nose, and that seemed human enough.

Walking through the ship, they were stopped. A spray covered them, and he closed his eyes. He could heal whatever damage was done, but it still sucks. When he opened his eyes, she reached up to her blue mask. Taking it off, she smiled. Her glowing white eyes looked for a reaction.

To be truthful, she was beautiful. She pulled her hood down, and shook her hair out.

"You sure you wanna do this, kid?" He asks. His rough voice making her smile.

"Of course. You were willing to step up for me when no one else was. It's the least I can do." Her mouth opens, and a set of sharp incisors was seen. Logan smiled back, and shows his own sharp teeth. She giggles, and he notices more about her. Her ears are much different than a human's. They were much smaller, and lacked a lobe.

Her hair seemed to be different, as well. Despite looking like human hair, it reminded him more of a horse's, but much softer. He remembered they were the ones that pollinated for plants, so they needed coarse hair. Too soft of hair wouldn't be able to hold onto pollen.

"You are staring at me." She noted. Her cheeks flush, and he nods.

"Unless Quarians I don't know reveal their faces, I just couldn't help look for looking as long as I can. You're...Interesting." He told her, truthfully.

"Oh. Uh, w-well thank you." She responded, and looked at her feet.

"Look, kid. I gotta go. I'm getting drunk tonight, and takin' off, tomorrow. Take care of yourself, will ya?" He asked earnestly. She nodded. Before he could go, she grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him into a kiss. He kissed back strongly, and she moaned into him.

"Guess I can say I kissed a human." She said, stupidly. Surprised by the very pleasant taste on her lips, he chuckled.

"I think my bragging rights are stronger, darlin'." He laughed, and left the ship. If he had turned around, he could see the Quarian raise her hood, sadly.

Walking back to the bar, he walked past the Elcor who stood watch. He could only laugh as the people began to complain. Walking up the stairs, he entered the bar. He sighed, and walked back to his stool. He sat down on it again, very heavily. The Turian bartender came back with a smile.

"Logan, friend. You should know better than trying to seduce young Quarians." He laughed, to which Logan joined.

"You wouldn'ta believed it, Tulcus. She kissed me. I got to see her unmasked." He said, and he nodded. His eyes lit up, curiosity the source of such light.

"What'd she look like?" Logan thought of how to describe her.

"Angelic. They don't have eye colors, mainly human. They have two lines going down their face, her's were a blue-ish color. She didn't have ears like mine, though. They were tiny, and she didn't have an earlobe." Tulcus laughed, and clapped Logan's shoulder.

"You're a dog for that, Logan." Logan smiled, and nodded. After, though, he frowned. He shouldn't kiss and tell. With one of the many Asaris, he didn't mind. They were whores, and he was just as big of one. He didn't care about them. Her entire personality made him wish he could speak to her again.

He didn't love her, though. The kiss was nice, but he couldn't take advantage of her like that. She deserved a good, Quarian boyfriend. She actually reminded him of Rogue, which made him definitely separate himself from her.

"I feel bad. She was too good for me to raise her hopes up." He said, and stood. His mood was ruined. Just as he turned, the Asari from earlier stood with multiple men. They were armed to the teeth, and she had a faint blue tint to her armor. She was a biotic.

"For earlier." All eight men fired their entire clips into him. He threw himself to the floor, acting with it. Bullets hurt a lot more than they once did, but they healed just as fast. He lied still, and waited for them to check the body. As one stood above him, Logan snapped his shin in a punch, and grabbed his neck as he fell. With one hand, he threw him at the farthest.

Easily dodging a sloppy kick, he slammed his own foot into the man's ankle, causing him to lose his balance. Keeping the hold of his leg caused the man to do a split. Logan spun quickly, slamming his heel against the side of the man's skull. He dodged a man trying to punch him, and then a second. He then began to block, and easily took on both at the same time. A sloppy punch turned into a broken forearm, and the other had their knee slammed in.

Four down, four to go. He grabbed one man's gun, and slammed it against his knee, breaking it. He easily flipped over the man, and punched the merc behind him with a good deal of strength. The man was sent flying across the room. Logan turned, and took a shot to the back of the head. He groaned, and grabbed the man's gun hand. He ripped it to one side, ripped it to another, before finally flipping the merc over his shoulder. He wrenched the man's forearm sideways, and a sick snap was heard.

Two pulled out knives, and went after him. The first was too slow, and resulted in being thrown off the balcony. The second's wrist was snapped, as Logan simply crushed it. The last man, the one whose gun was broken, had a shaky jaw. He turned, and ran. Logan simply laughed, and opened his coat. The leather jacket was old. Older than any living human, for sure. He pulled out a cheap cigar, and lit it. He took a long drag, and his shoulders sagged. He missed the adrenaline of fighting.

Even he was surprised at the mercy he showed the mercenaries. Usually, he would have gutted them. Or worse. His thoughts fell back to Raana. A smile was cast onto his face, and he nods.

Before he could even make it to the door, he was blocked by three humans. One wore N7 armor, the other two had Cerberus insignias on their arms. This wasn't the first time Cerberus had come knocking for him. He stayed as far away as possible. He actually enjoyed whatever else out there. Even if he was human, he understood. Cerberus was just as bad as the anti-mutant groups, during the 21st century.

"James, may we speak?" The one in N7 armor asked. He was taller than Logan. Logan stands at five feet, and nine inches. This man must've been six feet and two inches. The man next to him was the same height, and the woman was Logan's height.

"Listen, bub. I don't know who yer talkin 'bout, and I don't wanna know." The woman seemed to exhale hard, as if stifling a laugh.

He walked by them, and out of the bar. Using his advanced hearing, he could sense they were following him. He spun, quickly.

"It's been over one hundred years, James. Wandering wherever you can, mourning your teammates' deaths with drink, and with blood." The man's baritone voice called to him. He grabbed him, leading the other two to raise their guns.

"Tell 'em they'd be wasting their bullets. Who the hell are you?" The man held a fist up, and the other two let their guns fall.

"I'm Commander Shepard. I'd prefer if you let go of me, James." Logan pulled him closer, his nose practically against the man's helmet.

"How do you know that name?" Shepard placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Cerberus put together a list of dossiers for me. I'm not with them, but I agreed to cooperate with them. Just until the Collectors are stopped. Most of the information about your life is there. To a certain point. It starts during your time as a CIA operative, over two hundred years ago." He said. Logan let go of the man, and shook his head.

"I shoulda known those records were still out there. What dirt do they have on me? I'm guessing either you, or some Cerberus slimeball, will try to blackmail me into this." He said. A thick finger pointed at Shepard's breastplate.

"No dirt. I'll even give you the files to destroy, personally. James, I just need your help. The Collectors are a tough enemy, so I need a tough team. You're one of the toughest out there." Shepard said. Logan looked into the man's blue eyes, and found no doubt. The man knew what to say, that's for damn sure. He smelled no lies, either.

"Alright. I'll join the Motley Crüe. One thing, though. James Howlett died a long time ago...It's Logan, now." Shepard nodded, and clapped his shoulder.

"Will do, Logan. Come on, we're on a mission that you'll like. Three gangs have another recruit pinned down. We need to rescue, and save him." He said, and put a hand on Logan's shoulder. "Can I trust you to come with?" Logan looked into the man's eyes, and nodded.

"Yeah. I can do that." He looked to Miranda, who nodded.

"Miranda, return to the Normandy. Keep an eye on Mordin. We'll be back in no time." He said, and Logan watched her go.

"Logan, do you need a gun?" The man asked, and Logan shook his head.

"Nah. I'm pissed, though. Those damn mercs caught me with my oldest and my favorite leather jacket." He looked down. His jacket from his days of being an X-Man was shredded. He looked back up, and Shepard seemed to frown.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can guess when you says oldest, you mean over a hundred." He chuckled, and Logan nodded. The other man still stood silent.

"Don't talk much, huh?" Logan asked him. The man looked at him, and shook his head.

"I just don't know what to make of you, yet. Once I do, I'll start talking more." Logan nodded, and the three move forward.

They quickly walked through all of the rooms, finding whatever data they could afford, until they finally had met the leader of the Eclipse. The Salarian's snarky attitude made Logan want to smash his teeth down his throat. When Shepard was done talking, they turned, and walked through the door on the right side of the room.

Walking through the hall, they went directly straight, and bumped into a massive Krogan, and a group of Vorcha. Logan's eyes lingered on the Vorcha. He was very open-minded when it came to aliens, but he never let his guard down around Vorcha. He kept his arms crossed, and a frown on his face.

"You're in the wrong place, freelancer." The Krogan said to him. Shepard's helm hid his expression, but Logan doubted it was a smile.

"You the Blood Pack leader?" He asked, and the Krogan's face fell.

"Name's Garm. That's all you need to know. I'm stuck here, waiting, until you freelancers are done playing war. Ask your questions and go." His dismissive tone made Logan's lips curl upwards, revealing his own teeth.

"When do the Blood Pack attack?" Logan appreciated the man's attempts of learning about the enemy. If they were gonna assist Archangel, they had to know what they were up against. Disabling the YMIRs was the first step. Without the mechs, the Eclipse were fucked.

"Damn Tarak wants to keep us waiting. I hate waiting. He says the Suns have a plan, and they don't want us fucking it up. Hah! We're supposed to wait until the Eclipse sends their mechs. We'll see..." In any other situation, Logan would have smiled, maybe even laughed. The irony of the plan was clear to all three men.

"What do you know about Archangel?" Shepard asked. Logan respected the man's ability to hide his emotions. The dude hadn't let up his tone, or even his body language. This man was a seasoned talker.

"He's a pain in the ass. He's a Turian, which makes him harder to look at than you. He's brave, too. Until he realizes you're more than he's bargained for." The Krogan casually ended the last bit.

"Sounds like you've had personal experience." Shepard's ease at digging information out of people was extremely useful. Not only were they dealing with idiots, apparently he's been doing it for so long that he knows exactly how to ask his questions. Logan nods, slightly. His massive forearms sitting menacingly against his chest. If one looked hard enough, they'd see a faded black, "X," where his heart lied.

"He tried to take me down, once. Waited till I was alone. It was the longest damn fight of my life, I was able to hold off until my men got there, though. He wasn't so tough after that. We chased him over half of Omega. We almost had him, too, but the slippery bastard snuck away before we could pin him down." Logan's mind relayed the information. Great hand-to-hand combatant, Turian, and obviously not fond of gangs...Maybe Krogans, but that's a different subject. Shepard nodded, curtly.

"I should get going." Garm snorted.

"'Bout time." With that, the trio turned. Logan reveled in the lack of Vorcha stench. When they walked out of the chamber, they instantly witnessed a Vorcha being slaughtered. A bullet entered the creature's head, and sent it flying off of it's cover. Their buddy wisely decided to stay down.

"Looks like one hell of a time." Logan chuckled at the sight, and the other two look over to him. He nodded, and walked forward. Shepard lead them to a datapad, and easily hacked into it. He smiled, and looked into his omni-watch.

"Well, I just gained around sixty-thousand credits." He threw the datapad, and continued. When they reached the locked door, Logan's patience began to falter. Shepard is a good guy, and a good leader-so far-but the man checked every single nook and cranny of every single place he goes to. It's frustrating.

He cracked it, and shifted through different things. He found plans for the power of a submachine gun, heavy ammo, and forty-thousand credits from the Blue Sun's gunrunning accounts. They walked out of that room, and straight to the next door. They walked across the bridge, and into the room on the right.

They walked right up to the screaming Batarian, and he stared up.

"Get these freelancers out of here, now. I don't have time for this shit." He growled, and continued typing away. Shepard raised a hand.

"I just have a few questions about the operation." Logan looked over to the Batarian, and waited.

"Jentha, get this scum out of my face." Logan stepped forward. Long ago, he had done a deal for the man. He was desperate for money, and told himself that he was killing someone just as bad.

"Tarak, what the hell crawled up your ass?" All four of Tarak's eyes looked up at Logan, and seemed to widen.

"Logan?" He asked, surprised.

"I take it you two are acquainted?" Shepard looked at Logan, before looking back at Tarak.

"I did a job for him, once. I was desperate for money, and the piece of shit I killed was worse." Logan said, and ended that little conversation.

"Since when do you work for so little?" He asked Logan. He looked at the man, and shifted his weight.

"Since when are you a fuckin' madman?" Logan shot back.

"It's Archangel! Bastard's gonna kill me! Almost did, already." The panic in the Batarian's words was noticed.

"That bad, huh?" Logan easily replied.

"Worse. Look, Logan. I gotta deal with this shit." He pointed to the woman besides him, "Jentha, talk to these guys. Answer any questions they have." Logan nodded at the Batarian, and looked back at Shepard.

"Good thing you know him, Tarak hates hiring freelancers. He doesn't trust anyone outside of the Suns." The woman, Jentha, said.

"I didn't notice." Logan's sarcasm practically dripped off of his tongue.

"What can I do for you?" Ignoring Logan's sarcasm.

"What's Tarak gonna do if the infiltration team fails?" Shepard asked. Right into it, like usual. Logan appreciated the man's bluntness, but even that took time. His mind went to Archangel, and he wondered if the man was alright.

He got lost in thought for so long, the two were done talking.

They walked back from where they came, and came back into the large room. A human male was laid out, as brains seeped from his skull. Jacob flinched at the sight, but the other two were unreadable. Logan's eyes had seen much worse. A freelancer stayed in cover away from the rest. He was in cheap gear, and held a very old gun.

"I'm looking for Sergeant Cathka." The man's eyes met where Shepard's should be.

"You and me both, pal. He's over there, working on the gunship. We go over the bridge when he gives the word. Go talk to him if you want, but I'm in no hurry." Shepard nodded.

"I'll be right back." Shepard said, and the man nods. They all walk across the opening, and walk towards the gunship. Sparks flew into the air, as a shape lied beneath it. Logan raised a thick eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"Cathka?" The man just pointed behind him, and the other besides him moved. The trio easily moved between them, and walked up to the man underneath the ship. Upon further inspection, it was learned that he is indeed Batarian.

"Sergeant Cathka...Ah, you must be the group that Salkie mentioned. You're just in time."

"Salkie?" Shepard asked, while shrugging his shoulders. Logan looked back at the Batarian.

"You met him when you were dropped off. He radioed and said you were coming. You three stand out from most of the other freelancers. Anyways...The infiltration team is about to send us the signal. Archangel won't know what hit him. Got any questions? This may be your last chance." The sour note didn't go unnoticed by any of the three.

"Are you gonna give us cover with the gunship?" Shepard asked, as Cathka blew smoke from a cigar. If Logan wasn't about to leap into battle, he would've done the same.

"Ha," he laughs, "Tarak's the only one who flies her. Besides, she's not quite ready. That bastard Archangel gave her a beating last time she was out there. With a few tweaks, she'll be as good as new." He nodded, and looked at the ship in question.

"Why are you coordinating the attack and fixing gunships?" Logan wondered the same. Usually someone in power wouldn't bother to even touch the tools, never mind actually put them to use.

"I'm in the infiltration group. We coordinate with the gunship. I'm staying back to organize the freelancers, and make sure that the gunship is ready to go, if needed." Shepard considered what the Batarian said, and looked back at him.

"So our plan is to jump the wall and head for Archangel's building?" Shepard asked, and watched for the man's answer.

"Also trying not to killed so fast. You're only a distraction for as long as you survive. You don't have to make it all the way across. Just keep Archangel looking at that bridge. The infiltration team will do the rest." He took another puff of his cigar.  
"How will the infiltration team get to Archangel?" Shepard asked. Logan's patience is becoming dangerously thin. He can feel his own face heating up.

"They've got two options. Trap him in close quarters, and finish him off hand-to-hand. If that doesn't work, they got explosives. It just takes time to set up." He waved his cigarette around as he spoke.

"Are you leading the assault?" Shepard asked, as a cloud of smoke was blown in his face." The question seemed to amuse the Batarian.

"Tarak doesn't pay me to fight. I just fix the damn gunship, and plan the attacks. You freelancers get the privilege of-" His monitor went off, and he suddenly stopped talking.

"Check...Bravo team, go, go, go!" He yelled. Everyone in the room before them got their weapons ready, and began moving. "Archangel's got quite a surprise waiting for him. But, that means no more waiting for me." Just as the last man went out of sight, Logan unsheathed his claws and stuck them through the back of the alien's skull. He ripped them back out with a wet rip, and sheathed them.

"You talk too fucking much." He said to Shepard, whilst jabbing a finger into his breastplate.

"Archangel doesn't have much time left." Jacob pointed out. Logan rolled his eyes.

"So why are we still standin' here?" The sounds of weapons firing soon drowned their conversation, and the sound of an explosion rang out. Shepard ran towards the wall, and Logan leapt over it. He landed softly, as the other two continued climbing.

Shepard nodded at Logan, and the man smiled. _SNIKT!_ The blades from his knuckles returned, and he threw himself at the freelancers. He easily ripped one's throat out, before leaping through the air. It was like watching a deadly art. Logan killed with such a graceful brutality, it was unlike anything they've ever seen.

The last man shot him in the chest with a shotgun. The two noticed the gaping hole in the middle of his stomach, and how his flesh was mending. They could see his skin closing, already. A few seconds later, it was normal skin. He cut the man's gun in half, and crushed his ribs in a solid blow to the chest.

They ran up the stairs, where two men stood at the end. Their shields had two layers, but that wasn't a problem for Logan. He ran down the hall, easily keeping them off balance. His speed took them off guard, as they couldn't even get a beat on him. He easily caught one by the throat, and sliced the other's trigger arm off. He snapped the man's neck in one hand, and put his blades through the other's throat. A wet rip was heard as he pulled them out.

"Nice work, Logan..." Shepard said, with uncertainty. He'd never met a man so good at being violent. The way he killed showed that he was a master.

"Hmmph." Logan replied, crossing his large forearms. His icy blue eyes looking at the door in front of him. A green ring on the front.

Logan followed behind Shepard, and walked behind him. He wasn't worried about the sniper, so he walked normally. His arms hang by his sides, and only moved when he walked. He watched Shepard swing around, and point his gun up. He let it go, and nodded his head.

"Archangel?" The man in blue armor raised a three fingered hand, and took a deep breath. Silence drowned them, until a shot burst out of the Turian's rifle. A man cried in pain, and Logan heard the man's brains and body fall onto the ground. Impressive, he guessed.

The man got up from a knee, obviously painfully. He had probably been down for hours. Logan watched as the man stood, and towered over all of them. Even the Commander.

Taking off his helmet, his long crest was easily visible, as was the facial tattoos that most Turians have. He put the helmet down, and his blue eyes stare into the Commander. A huge smile broke out on his face.

"Shepard...I thought you were dead." He admitted. Logan knew that was as sappy as this reunion would get. Words aren't needed when actions can be taken.

"Garrus! What're you doing here?" Shepard exclaims, and opens his arms. Garrus didn't seem to share the excitement. Fighting for your life for almost a day did that to a man, no matter who.

"Just keeping my skills sharp. Target practice." Shepard's concern was noted.

"You okay?" He asked, his tone more gentle.

"Been better, but it sure is good to see your ugly mug. We can't all be pretty," He laughs, and continues, "Killing mercs is hard work. Especially on my own." Shepard nodded.

"What're you doing out here on Omega?" Logan wondered the same. Garrus Vakarian was known to be a cop, someone he bumped into a couple times while on the citadel. He never heard of Logan, though. Logan made sure no cops found his name out. He didn't need that sort of trouble in his work.

"I got fed up with the bureaucratic crap on the Citadel. Figured I could do more good on my own. At least it's not hard to find criminals here. All I have to do is point my gun and shoot." Logan chuckled at that one, and the Turian looked up to him. He threw him a cheeky smile, and the alien seemed to look back down.

"How'd you manage to piss off every merc organization in the Terminus Systems?" Shepard asked, and Logan looked back to Garrus.

"It wasn't easy...I _really_ had to work at it." His sarcasm practically dripped from his words. Logan was gonna like working with this dude, he can already tell.

"I'm amazed they teamed up to fight me. They must _really_ hate me." He obviously didn't care.

"Since when did you start calling yourself, 'Archangel?'" Shepard asked, while shifting his weight onto his other foot.

"It's just a name the locals gave me for my good deeds. I don't mind it, but please...It's just, 'Garrus,' to you." The way he acted made it known he was screwing with the Commander, and Logan had trouble keeping a straight face. This man's personality was great.

"You nailed me good a couple times, by the way." Shepard said, and stood expectantly.

"Concussive rounds, only. No harm done. Didn't want the mercs getting suspicious."

"Uh-huh." Shepard said, bantering.

"If I wanted to do more than take your shields down, I would have. Besides, you were taking your sweet ass time. Someone needed to light a fire under your ass." Logan chuckled again, and the two old friends look at him.

"You didn't introduce me to the two newbies." Garrus said, referring to the two humans. His eyes lingered on the Cerberus insignia.

"Not yet. I don't think getting out will be as easy as in, Garrus." Shepard said, and Garrus nodded. He lifted his gun, and stared at it.

"No, it won't. That bridge has saved my life. It put all of those idiots into one scope. It works both ways, though. They'll slaughter us if we try to get out that way." He said. Logan nodded, and his respect for the Turian grew. The tactile genius the man has shown so far would be valuable.

"So we just sit here and wait?" Jacob asked, and Garrus looked at him.

"It's not all that bad." Garrus shook his head gently, and paced, "This place has held them off so far, and with the three of you...I suggest we hold this location. We then wait for the defense to crack, and take our chances. It's not a perfect plan, but it's better than no plan" Logan hated playing the waiting game, but the other three couldn't survive an onslaught. He could.

"How'd you even let yourself get into this position, Garrus? What happens if you ran out of ammo?" Shepard wasn't trying to shoot his effort down, but the man was one of his closest friends, he couldn't keep some sort of tone out of his voice.

"Then I would be killed. I let my feelings cloud my judgement, but it's too damn long of story. Tell you what? I'll make you a deal: get me out of here, alive, and I'll tell you the entire thing." Shepard nodded.

"If we fight as a team, we'll hold them off. Besides, someone has to keep your face pretty." Shepard joked, as he took his assault rifle off of his back.

"You're right, their numbers won't help them in here, anyways. Don't worry. My face will be the one covering your sorry ass down there." He winked at the Commander, and turned towards the bridge. "Let's see what they're up to...Hmm...Looks like they know their infiltration team failed. Take a look. Scouts, I think." He handed the sniper rifle to Shepard, who took a look down the scope. A bunch of mechs with carnifexes walked around, looking for them.

"Looks like more than just scouts." He pointed out, and Garrus nodded. Logan started itching to tear them apart.

"Indeed. We best get ready." Garrus suggested, "I'll stay up here, I can do more damage from this vantage point. You...You can do what you do best. Just like old times, Shepard." His mandibles formed a smile, and the two nodded to one another.

Shepard, Jacob, and Garrus shot from the balcony, whilst Logan took off his torn shirt. A white beater made itself known, and he cracked his neck. He ran at the balcony, and launched himself off of it. He landed on a mech, and tore it apart.

"What is he doing?" Garrus cried out in horror. Shepard just laughed, as Logan whirled around the bridge, totally in his element.

"Just watch." Shepard said. Logan's claws reflected light, and Garrus squinted at them. He finally saw them, and his eyes widen. Just as the LOKIs were done, troops began to pour in. Logan turned, just in time as a sniper bullet slammed into his skull. The force of the blow sent him off of his feet, but he simply rolled with it, and sprung back to his feet. He ran towards the ground troops, and roared. His claws met the closest trooper, a Salarian, and the man's blood splashed the rails of the bridge. He rolled on the floor, and slammed his claws through a human's forearm, causing him to drop the gun.

Logan quickly threw the man-using the man's forearm-at another person, dropping them both, before taking a shotgun blast to his face. The metal of his skull was seen underneath, and his left eye was missing. He roared, a scary sight, seeing as most of his face was missing, before jamming his claws into the salarian's throat, and ripping to the side. He chuckled as the alien suffocated on the floor, before springing from his spot, and slamming the heel of his foot on the back of one goon's head, before slicing the throat of another. The two fell, and he noticed a few more falling due to the bullets flying from where Shepard and the team was.

He leaned forward, and continued to run, dodging bullets as best as he could, while moving slow enough to keep their attention on him. Drawing their attention to him, rather than the team, meant that the team could put as many as they wanted down, while not worrying about any return fire. He was obviously the bigger threat to them, so they would continue to stay focused on him, thinking that was the best option...Either way, they were going to die.

When it seemed like they were going to win, he heard the ramblings of a Salarian across the bridge. The whirring of a rotor was heard, and a package flew into the bridge. A heavy box was dropped onto the floor, and it lurched to life. Massive cannons became seen, and a tall mech stood to its full height. A YMIR. Logan's lip curled, and the rest of the team suddenly became aware that this fight became more challenging. He felt the adrenaline rush through his body, and began to shake his hands.

"I'll slow the YMIR down, and kill the people around it. Keep shooting down the shields!" Logan yelled to the commander, and rushed the heavy mech. He dodged a swipe of the arm, and leapt over the machine. He dodged gunfire that emerged from one of the guns in its arms, and rushed the troopers that began to pour into the room. He used a Batarian as a meat shield, before purposely centering himself around the oncoming enemies. That way, he could properly take advantage of his location, and have the mech indirectly fighting its own people.

A human slammed Logan's nose with the butt of his gun, making Logan's nose drop blood from it. He angrily grabbed the man by his neck, and tossed him towards the YMIR. The mech, due to its machine nature, simply tore through the man. His screams echoed around the entire chamber, causing Jacob to flinch at the vantage point.

"That man is brutal." He called to the others, who stare at the rugged man, now shirtless due to the bullets, tearing through people, and distracting the YMIR.

"He's effective." Garrus said simply, ending the conversation before it started.

Logan leapt over the YMIR, and scraped his claws over the mech's head, drawing its fire once more. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the mech's first shield layer was down. Soon, he began to slam his claws against multiple areas, looking for anything that would damage the damn thing. The troops coming in were hesitating, as they couldn't shoot their own mech. Shepard and the rest began taking care of the ground troops.

When the shield finally came off the mech, Logan slammed his claws into the left shoulder of the synthetic, causing the wiring and metal to begin to groan. Sparks of electricity began to fly out of the arm, some causing minor burns to fleck his skin. He ignored them, as his healing factor quickly took care of it. He pressed his legs into the head of the mech, and-with the great strength his mutation gave him-pushed against the mech. The arm pulled away with a loud shriek, and the mech didn't know any better. He dodged a swing of the arm, and leapt into cover from the machine gun fire.

"All your's, Shepard!" he cried out, laughing. The Commander began to pour gunfire into the machine, causing it to finally fall over. The two red lights in the center of its head finally dimmed, before going out, completely.

Logan quickly ran towards the vantage point, and leapt towards it. He stuck his claws in one of the walls, before using his momentum to propel himself up onto the balcony. He landed on a rail, and crouched on the side of it. He took a step onto the balcony, and leaned against the rail he had just landed on. He nodded to them, and they just eyed him with awe.

"Good shooting, Shepard. They barely touched me! Nice work to you, as well. We also got Jaroth in the process. I've been hunting that little bastard for months..." He said, and his fist clenches.

"Why were you after him?" Shepard asks, and his right shoulder shrugs. Logan had little patience, but Shepard knew how to get straight to the point, even if he did ask a lot of questions.

"He's been shipping tainted eezo all over Citadel space. Half the goods I seized back at C-Sec came from his team here, on Omega. I took out a big shipment a while back, and killed his top lieutenant in the process. I'm not surprised he began to work with the other mercs after that." He said, and made what must have been the Turian version of a smile.

"We've still got Blood Pack and Blue Suns left...Think we can make a break for it?" Shepard asked. Garrus' eyes harden.

"Maybe...Let's see what they're up to." He walks to the balcony, and uses his keen eyes to look.

"They've reinforced the other side...heavily. They're not coming over the bridge, yet. What are they waiting for?" Just as he asked, a large explosion was heard behind them, and the floor shook. The door that was sealed behind them was under threat.

"What the hell was that?" Miranda asked. Her blue eyes were alarmed, and were on guard.

Garrus pulls up his omnitool, and began to click around on it. His eyes widen in alarm, and he seemed to become agitated.

"Damn it! They've breached the lower levels. Well, they had to have used their brain, eventually. You'd better get down there, Shepard. I'll keep the bridge clear." He said, and the Commander hesitated.

"Let's split up two and two. Take one of my team members." He said. Garrus' eyes fall onto Logan, who nodded. He walked over to the tall Turian, and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Are you sure? Who knows what you'll find down there..." Garrus says. Shepard nods, strongly.

"Logan, keep Garrus alive. Without him, our mission is all but done for." He said. Logan nods, and agrees. He has seen that Garrus would be an excellent addition to the team, and a solid selection for the mission.

"Thanks, Shepard. You better get going." He said, and Shepard shifted his weight to his left leg.

"How would I get to the basement?" Garrus also shifts, and points behind the Commander.

"Go down a level-the basement door is on the west side of the main room, behind the stairs. I'll radio directions if you need help, but you gotta get down there quick. Good luck." He said, and Shepard was on his way. His two allies close behind them, before disappearing from sight.

"So, you survived through this shit for an entire day?" Logan asks the Turian once they were alone. Garrus thought about it, and nodded.

"I guess it has been a day. A shitty day, for sure, but a day nonetheless. How'd you get to meet Shepard?" He asked, and fixed his eyes over him. Logan scratches the back of his neck.

"Cerberus. They had a dossier on me for a mission that they're starting. I don't know what was on the dossier, or what the hell the mission is, for that matter, but it sounds pretty damn important. If it shakes the great Commander Shepard up, it's something to worry about." He said, and blinked. The Turian nods.

"Agreed. Shepard doesn't scare easily, so this must be something serious. Especially if he is working with Cerberus. Do you think they have something to do with his sudden appearance? Last I heard from the Alliance, they were searching for his body. No one could have survived open space and a fall like that, though." Garrus points out, and the two think about it.

"Does Cerberus have that much resources to bring back a dead body? What the hell would that feel like, I wonder?" Garrus asked. Logan wondered, and shook his head. He would never like to experience that. Shepard was at peace, and was literally roped back into the bullshit. Made him almost pity the man. Almost.

"Even if they did bring him back, I still don't trust 'em. After all the shit they pulled, I can't." He said, and the Turian agreed.

"Yes, I agree. Cerberus is most certainly not trustworthy. I hope the Commander keeps this in mind, and doesn't fall for their bullshit tricks." Garrus said. Logan wished the same thing, silently wondering if he'd have the resolve to kill the Commander if it came down to it.

Other than the occasional tip to the Commander, the two were fairly bored. Due to the bloodbath that had commenced once Logan stood on the bridge, they didn't waste any more men on there. They simply had zero chance of survival if they had.

Once they had shut the shutter down, Garrus heard the door begin to be breached. Logan nodded to him, and leapt over the railing again. He landed in a crouch, and hid behind some cover. The element of surprise would be on his side.

The doors open, and Logan could smell a Krogan's reptilian hide walk into the room. He the separate heartbeats of about six people right now, but knew there would be more of them. His lip curled, and he looked over to Garrus, who nodded.

"Rahh, rip them to shreds!" Garm cried out. Logan took a deep breath before leaping onto his cover, and launching off of it. The force of it sent him underneath the Krogan, before lifting and throwing the reptilian alien across the room. That was no easy feat. Garm was a massive Krogan, weighing nearly eight hundred pounds. Logan quickly made towards the Krogan's form, whilst the Commander and Jacob took up his back, shooting anyone who came into the room with him.

Logan stood off with the Krogan, circling around him. He was hunched over, snarling. Bits of drool fell over his mouth due to the anticipation of the fight ahead of him. The massive Krogan stood over a foot taller than Logan, and weighed over twice as much as he did. None of this truly stayed in Logan's mind, though.

"Garrus, take his shields down. Logan isn't fighting this guy by himself." The Commander yelled into his comm over the sounds of gunfire. Logan heard it, due to his advanced hearing, and tried to tune out the sounds.

"Just me and you, runt." Garm licked his teeth at the prospect of fighting Logan. From what he had already seen, the human was a worthy opponent. One who would go down with a great fight. He watched the human circle him, and met his icy blue eyes with his own red ones. A shot rings out, and Garm's shields flicker. The powerful rifle got rid of a good bit of them.

Launching off of his powerful legs, Logan came down towards the large Krogan, who swatted the smaller human out of the air. Logan was sent flying away from him, before landing on his back. He used the momentum to spring off of the floor, and back onto his feet. He unsheathed his claws, and sprinted back to the Krogan. He dodged a swipe of the Krogan's arm, and stuck his claws into the alien's ribs. He twisted and ripped them back out, causing a wave of blood to splash the floor. He leapt over the Krogan, and let another round of the sniper rifle to smash into his shields.

When the shields fell, the Commander lifted a grenade launcher off his back.

"Logan, get the hell outta the way!" Logan hand springed away, landing a good deal away from everyone. He shot the grenade launcher against the Krogan, causing the explosion to get rid of the rest of his armor. Logan sprinted full speed, totally blitzing the Krogan. He sliced parts of his thighs, shoulders, wrists, neck, and anywhere else that was exposed. They were to bleed and slow the Krogan.

Garm roared into the air, and finally did what Logan wanted him to. When he entered his blood rage, it sent adrenaline into his blood, causing his heart to pump faster. The small wounds caused the Krogan to begin to bleed out onto the floor. Logan simply began to dodge all of the rapid, sloppy swings of the Krogan. He watched as Garm finally began to slow down.

The Krogan fell to a knee, where he grunted in pain. He was caked in blood, and the ground around him was puddled. Logan stood over him with a grim smile on his face. The Krogan's red eyes seemed to plead with him.

"Give me an honorable death." He said, and Logan chuckled. The Commander walked over to him, and Logan shook his head.

"You're gonna bleed out for all the bullshit you've pulled." He turned around, and walked away. His shirtless torso was rapidly healing the battle's marks on him. He cracked his neck, and stood next to the Commander.

"They've stopped. Come find me." Garrus said over the comm. Due to his hearing, Logan could hear it without the comm in his ear. He nodded, and followed the Commander up to where the Turian was located.

"Tough bastards, but I've seen worse. We also took out Garm and his Blood Pack. This day just keeps getting better and better. He was one tough son of a bitch." Garrus said, and looked at Logan. Logan grunted in response to the look.

"You fought with Garm, before?" Shepard asked, even if he already knew. He wanted to hear it from the Turian's perspective.

"Yeah, we tangled once before. Caught him alone. None of his gang to help him. I still couldn't take him out. Never seen a Krogan regen that fast before. He was a freak of nature." He said, and looked at Logan.

"Until you saw me. Yeah, yeah. He's dead, now." Logan said, and crossed his arms.

"He kept going at it until his Vorcha showed up. It was close, but I had to let him go. Not this time..." His flanged voice finished, and his eyes squinted. Logan grinned widely at the comment.

"Only the Blue Suns are left. I say we take out luck and fight our way out." Logan and Jacob both nod with the Commander, agreeing with his opinion. They were not going to get another chance to escape unscathed.

"I think you're right. Tarak's got the toughest group, but nothing we haven't faced, before. Besides, he won't be expecting us to meet him head on-" As he spoke, a drone made its way to the balcony. Garrus immediately dove for cover, as did the rest of the people in the room. Logan absorbed whatever bullets he could, and became a meatshield for the Commander and Jacob.

He growled to himself as he stood besides them, the bullets falling out of his skin. They clanged against the floor upon contact.

"I thought I already shot that damn thing down! They're offloading troops. Watch your back, Shepard!" The Commander was behind solid cover, and Logan could hear the separate heartbeats. He waited a moment before shooting around the corner. He leapt from his spot onto a merc, before slicing him twice in the stomach, before grabbing the closest merc to his right. He used the body to absorb bullets, before throwing him at the farthest merc from him. He slammed his claws into the skull of a human running towards him, killing him instantly. He turned and the Commander shot the last merc in the face. He fell to the floor, dead.

"They've reached the rear staircase!" Garrus called out, and rolled into cover. Bullets began to fly into their location. Logan grinned as he propelled off of the railing. He unsheathed his claws in midair, before slamming into a merc. He rolled off of the man, before ripping the throat of a Salarian passing by him with his claws. He slammed his head off of another human, splintering his nose and facial bones.

He turned around and was slammed with a biotic attack. He felt his feet being lifted off of the ground.

"Someone wanna help me?" He called out. The mercs opened fire on Logan, pouring hundreds of bullets into him. He roared in pain as most of them slammed into his bones, and tore through his flesh. He growled, nearly animalistic, and he finally felt himself fall onto the ground. He grunted as he got up, and felt the bullets begin to push out of his skin.

Shepard watched the muscular man sprint towards the group of mercs. He slashed upwards at the face of one, causing his eyeball and most of his face to go flying into the air. He side swiped another's, causing their skull to separate into three separate chunks. He gutted the next, causing the man to fall to a knee, holding his intestines desperately. The panic in his eyes was noticeable.

"Jesus Christ, Shepard. He's tearing them apart..." Garrus said, as Logan continued to mercilessly rip them to shreds. Literally.

Limbs lay around him. His pants were mostly gone, leaving him standing there in his naked glory. Blood-a mixture of his own and of those mercs-covered him. It dripped down his face, into his mouth, and off of his skin. He panted due to adrenaline, and looked at the others around him.

Shepard's eyes were widened. Cerberus was not kidding when they said this man was extremely dangerous. If Shepard stood in his way, there would be no way for him to stop him. For one moment in his life, he was glad he was not on the opposing side of a dangerous person. He quite literally stood in front of the most dangerous human beings in the galaxy.

"What're you girls looking at?" He asked. He looked up at Garrus, who was scoping for any remaining enemies.

"Archangel! You think you can screw with the Blue Suns?" Bullets flew into the room, sending Garrus into cover.

"This ends now!" A rocket came flying into the room, which sent Garrus scrambling. The explosion sent him off of his feet. Logan quickly made his way into the room, and stood in front of the Turian, ensuring a huge measure of safety to the Turian. He quickly carried the Turian into a safe zone, before turning around. He knew what he had to do.

"Shepard! I'm gonna take this goddamned thing down. Cover my ass." He chuckled at the irony of the command, before he stood. He sprinted towards the gun, dodging the fire, before using the railing as a springboard. He unleashed his claws and they make him stay on top of the drone. He slammed his claws throughout the drone, finding spots where he could truly fuck it up. He groaned as he hit a main wire, causing electricity to flow through his body. He heard the drone start to fail, though.

As it began to whip around, uncontrollably, he laughed in pure ecstasy. He timed the jump right, and threw himself back towards the patio. He had missed by a small amount, and ended up having to stick his claws into the wall. He climbed up, slowly, and finally made his way over the railing. He hit the floor and groaned. It's been a long goddamn day.

He looked over to the Commander, and saw him sprinting over to Garrus. He woke the Turian up, who was groaning. His copper-based blood was on the floor, staining it blue. He sobered up, and stood up, shakily. He quickly walked over there, and knelt down. Jacob and the Commander looked at him with a unnerved look on their faces.

"You gonna just sit there and stare, or are we gonna save this asshole's life?" Logan shot at them. It kicked them into gear. Shepard chuckled at his words. Logan quickly bent over, and lifted the man-bridal style to avoid further injury-before they made their way to the Normandy.

"Logan, do you know where the port is?" Shepard asked. His voice was laced with extreme worry. This was one his closest friends, after all. Logan nodded quickly.

"Run there. You're a hell of a lot faster than I am, and Jacob wouldn't be fast enough, either. Please. We need Garrus." He said. Logan nodded. He watched the Commander apply medi-gel to the wounds in his torso, and Logan nodded once more.

"Now go!" The Commander yelled in his leader voice. Logan took off. He sprinted around a corner, before exiting the building. It was quite the sight. Due to him being totally naked, he caught many eyes around the place. If there had been a police presence on Omega, he would've been apprehended for indecent exposure, and public nudity. He pushed his speed to the limit. Due to his own speed, and his healing factor being able to push his muscles, he was moving at nearly fifty miles per hour.

He quickly approached the Normandy-everyone knows the name of Commander Shepard's ship-and the doors swung wide open. He quickly entered it and ran through into the main entrance. He went up a painfully slow elevator, and picked the third deck. Upon coming out of it, he used his sense of smell to direct him to the medical bay.

"I need a goddamn doctor!" Logan called out. A salarian and older woman came rushing towards him, and checked the wounds on him.

"Quick, lay him down on the table." An older human woman said, as she began to prepare her materials. The Salarian was muttering things to himself, and making rapid movements.

"You're free to leave...And put on some pants. You may want to clean up first, though. You have a bit of blood on you." The doctor said with her back turned. He looked down, and dried blood covered his entire body. She was right. He nodded, and left the med-bay. He quickly took a seat outside of it, not sure of what to do next.

Maybe twenty minutes later, a panting Jacob and a normal Shepard were in the ship. Shepard bowled past the naked Logan, and into the med-bay to check on his friend. Immediately, he was instructed to get out by the doctor, and finally realized Logan was still naked.

"Unless you enjoy being in your birthday suit, I suggest showering up and getting dressed. Showers are down the hall, and uniforms are in the locker room. See if there are any in your size. When you're done, meet us in the briefing room." Shepard said. He nodded to the man. Logan walks by him, and a hand lands on his shoulder.

"Logan...Thank you. You were beyond excellent on this mission. Also, for Garrus. We cannot succeed in this mission without him. Now that I've seen you, it is the same for you." He said. His eyes were filled with a sincerity that Logan didn't often see.

"You're welcome." Logan skirted around him, and continued to the shower. He felt the ship's temperate breezes go to places they should never go, and winced. He quickly made his way to the showers, passing by a couple people. He growled at anyone who gave him looks. He pushed into the bathroom, and made his way towards the shower. He grabbed a towel on the way, and made sure not to stain the white cloth with the blood that he was covered in.

All in all...It's been a hell of a day.


	2. Purgatory

**I'm doing a bit of blending of Logan's background. Due to me liking pretty much every incarnation of the character, some aspects of 616, Ultimate, and some of the cartoons will be used. Maybe I'll stretch into the movies, but we'll see. Anyways, thank you for one person reviewing. It meant a lot. Hopefully more will do so in the future, but who cares? I enjoy writing this, and will continue to do so, either way.**

He came out of the shower with sopping wet hair. The usually wild, and grungy hair hung over his eyes, and he grimaced. Shaking his head, not unlike an animal, water flew all around him, and his hair stayed out of his face, going back to its usual wild look. He looked at himself in the mirror, and decided that it was time to get rid of the full beard that sat on his face.

He grabbed a razor, and chopped it down. Dark, thick hair fell down onto the floor around him. He looked into the mirror, and nodded. The thick sideburns on the side of his face were like before, thick, and went down to his jawline. He touched his face and stood straight. Bringing himself to the lockers situated in the large bathroom, he quickly grabbed a uniform. His face scrunched up in disgust. He hasn't worn anything this stiff in decades.

He quickly pulled the uniform on, and sighed at the feeling of the uniform. Cerberus stood for everything that he was against. He grimaced at the symbol that was on his arm. He would never forgive himself for wearing this. Once they landed on the Citadel, he was going to buy a bunch of comfortable jeans and beaters. That way he'll never have to wear this fucking thing again.

Walking into the war room, he saw Jacob and Shepard standing on opposite sides of the room. There was clearly some tension in the atmosphere, because Logan could sense it in the air. They must have had a major disagreement on something. Maybe about him. Who knows, he wasn't paying attention.

"Commander...We've done what we could for Garrus, but he took a bad hit. The docs corrected with surgical procedures and some cybernetics. Best we can tell, he'll have full functionality, but..." Shepard's eyes swung to the door, near where Logan was leaning against the wall, where Garrus Vakarian walked in. His face was mangled, and his armor was clearly broken.

"Shepard." He said, simply. It was as if he hadn't just been shot to bits a mere couple hours ago. Jacob chuckled.

"Tough son of a bitch. Didn't think he'd be up, yet." Garrus looks over to Logan, and gives him a nod, a signal of gratitude. Logan dips his head twice, and continues to remain silent.

"Nobody would give me a mirror. How bad is it?" He asked, as he walked in.

"Hell, Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will notice." Logan laughed at the comment, and Jacob joined. Garrus failed to remain serious and began to laugh, before hissing.

"Don't make me laugh, damn it! My face is barely holding together as it is. Ah, probably for the best. Everyone was always ignoring you and hitting on me. Time for you to get a fair shot at it." Logan chuckled again, and Shepard shook his head.

Jacob snapped a sharp salute, and quickly exited the room. Their eyes watch him go, and Logan slowly came off the wall. He walked towards the table, where he was towered over by both the Turian and the Commander.

"Kid needs to get that stick out of his ass." Logan commented to no one in particular, causing the other two to chuckle. One with a hiss.

"Frankly, I'm more worried about you. I've heard bad things about Cerberus these past couple of years." Garrus said, and trained his eyes on the Commander. Shepard's eyes firmed, and he took a step forward.

"That's why I'm glad you're here, Garrus. If I'm walking into hell, I want someone I can trust at my side. You're my best friend." He said, and Logan watched the two men with interest. So, he and Garrus were that close, personally. It made sense. The way they had met on Omega showed that the two were closer than they originally let on. He was putting money on the two being of mostly the same mindset, and nodded. If Garrus was anything like the Commander, then the two would be just fine.

"You realize this plan has me walking into hell too, right? Ha. Just like old times. I'm fit for duty whenever you need me, Shepard. I'll settle in and see what I can do at the forward batteries." He said, and nodded. He turned around, and his form quickly left the room.

Shepard looked over at the shorter man, and quickly decided what he would say.

"You don't know what to say. Listen, I get it. Make of me as you will. Your mission's too fucking big to let little shit get in the way. I'm your man for as long as you need me, Shepard." Logan said, and crossed his arms. Veins bulge on the massive biceps and forearms.

"I just have a lot of questions, Logan. First off, how in the blue hell do you have claws in your goddamn forearms?" Logan chuckled, and nodded.

"Good first question, kid. You'll learn at some point." Logan's eyes seemed to be misty, but they were not sad. Pure, unadulterated rage seemed to boil within them.

"I'm sorry to bring up painful memories, Logan. I know we just met, but you can trust me. I want you to know that I'll wait for however long you need me to wait, but I am asking out of genuine curiosity. Not out of an ulterior motive." Shepard said, and looked at the man in the eyes. The feral looking man nodded, and turned towards the door. Shepard nodded, and he pulled out the dossier on Logan and read through the brief background it gave him.

"Subject Name: James Howlett

Born September 16th, 1882

James is an expert martial artist, marksman, pilot, athlete, tactician, and linguist. He also possesses nigh-indestructibility." He reads the birth date and just stares at it. This human was the longest living human in the galaxy, and he had no clue this entire time. The fact that Logan was able to hide this simple mind-boggling fact was a testimony to the man's ability to disappear. He would be interested in speaking to the man, further.

His question that remained was focused on the man's past. Why would he be a skilled linguist? How did he become such a skilled fighter? When he watched the man tear people to shreds on Omega, he was both impressed and unnerved by the man's utter knack for chaos. It was as if killing people in utterly violent ways was second nature to the man. Shepard was confused as to how he felt about this. Having a nigh-indestructible, extremely skilled killer on the team was something that they needed if they wanted to destroy the Collectors. However, his gut told him that there are issues that Logan needed to face before Shepard was truly able to rely on the man.

With his mind made up, he walked back towards his bridge. He looked at the advanced galaxy map, and looked over to his Yeoman. He walked up to her, and she turned around. Soft green eyes and a very open, loving smile was on her face. He wanted to both walk away and smile back at the same time.

"Commander. It's heartbreaking what's going on with Logan. Even if he puts on that brave, angry face. He is torn up on the insides. Like he's in a constant battle. I'm not sure who the enemy is, he told me to kick rocks when I tried to ask, but I know he'll come around. Once the man trusts you, he'll follow you anywhere you go." She said, and nodded. Shepard considered her words, and agreed with her.

"Thank you, Kelly. Is there anything else I should look out for with Logan?" He asked, and leaned back on his left hip. He crossed his arms, and watched her think for a moment.

"I'd watch out for what really gets under his skin. He's very closed off. Angry. I can imagine he's been through a lot in his life. It's the only explanation as to why he is the way he is. I believe Logan is a man who has lost everything. Be careful with him, Shepard." She warned, and her light eyes became serious for a second.

"Thank you, Miss Chambers. I enjoyed talking to you." He said, and nodded to her. She smiled and waved goodbye to him, before turning and getting back to work.

He quickly turned and looked up to the intercoms around the ship.

"EDI, where did Logan settle? Is he on this deck?" He asked the ship, itself. He'll never get used to that.

"Logan has settled on deck four, in Engineering. Apparently he has a hidden talent for engineering that Cerberus was not aware of." She said, as if she was noting it to herself. Shepard's eyes narrowed at the tone that her voice took. He would be the first to disable her if she was found to be relaying information to Cerberus. He would cooperate with them, but once this mission was over, he would be doing a full one-eighty. There was no way in Hell he would align himself with a terrorist organization. Cerberus would never be forgiven for what they've done.

He stepped towards the elevator, and hit the third deck. He was going to talk to Garrus. He was going to give Logan some time to himself, before speaking to him again. Let him settle down.

He made his way to the main battery, and looked at the man working at the terminal. The Turian had been through a lot. Whether that meant the drone, or days on end without food and water, killing any piece of shit that tried to kill him. Shepard could only respect the man before him. The size of this Turian's balls were unmatched.

"Garrus." He said, and the alien turned to him. A smirk settled on the Turian's face, and he crossed his arms.

"Shepard. Been a long time." He joked, and Shepard cracked a grin.

"Have you got a minute? We haven't seriously sat down and talk since...Well, you know." Shepard said, and looked down at his feet. Garrus took a shaky breath, and nodded his head.

"Sure. I just checked the weapon's system. You can never be too careful, right? I thought I had seen every weapon in the galaxy in our fight against Saren. Mercenary work showed me otherwise. Now Cerberus rebuilds the Normandy with a few upgrades to boot. Wish I had joined up with them sooner." Shepard, even if it was a joke, was annoyed by the last sentence.

"We haven't joined Cerberus. They're funding the mission. That's all. They're still terrorist scum." Garrus smiled.

"Relax, Shepard. Just a figure of speech. I'm not going to doubt your judgement. Not after I got my whole squad killed." Shepard knew he was avoiding speaking about his death.

"Garrus...I know I was gone for a while." He said, and the Turian looked away from him.

"Shepard, I'm not going to lie to you. It was rough...Thinking you were dead? You led me into what I thought was Hell, even if it's nothing compared to right now. We faced down enemies that normal men would bow to. You led us without even thinking about it. Knowing that your body would never be recovered...Being spaced? It wasn't a death fitting for you.

You have stood against the galaxy without allies before, Shepard. This is no different. Damn. Seeing you standing here after two years of being dead? Only you, Shepard. No one else can pull this off." He said, and looked upset. Shepard brought the man into a brotherly hug, and patted the man's armored back.

"Thanks for the words, Garrus. I know I can never get those two years back. To me, it's only been a couple days since I died. How'd everyone else take it?" He asked, looking at the floor. Garrus sighed.

"About as well as you expected. Tali and Liara took it the worst. By the Spirits...You should have seen the way Tali cried over your casket, Shepard. It was heartbreaking. I shouldn't be telling you this, but I know you'd want to know. Damn it. You're here now. That's all that matters." He said, and Shepard could tell he didn't want to talk about it.

"So what did your merc squad do? It didn't sound like you were available for hire." Shepard commented, and leaned against the railing.

"You saw Omega-it was full of thugs kicking the helpless. I formed my team to kick back. We weren't exactly mercenaries. Nobody paid us. We made money taking down slavers, pirates, or gangs that went too far." He said, and paced towards Shepard's left.

"Sounds like you acted like another gang." Shepard said, suppressing a smirk and snicker. It was always fun to bust Garrus' balls.

"Then I'm saying it wrong. We didn't shake anyone down. No civilian casualties. That was our rule. Every one of my team had lost someone to Omega's gangs. We weren't out to get rich. We were out to make those bastards think twice before murdering someone in the street." Shepard nodded. He understood that.

"Didn't sound like you made many friends with those gangs." He said, and Garrus smiled.

"I got three separate merc bands to work together trying to take me down. My manager at C-Sec would be impressed. It was fairly simple, really. We'd hit their shipments, disrupt activities, get under their skin, and make them angry." He folded his arms behind his back, and walked away from Shepard.

"They'd come charging right into our well-prepared killzone. Crossfires and snipers, clean and surgical. They didn't stand a chance." Shepard nodded. If it was one thing that he valued of Garrus' abilities, it was his tactical brilliance. The man's mind was like a war game. He would be an extremely good addition to the mission based on this alone, never mind being the only ground team member that the Commander truly trusted right now.

"How did the gangs take down your squad? From what you told me, they were all fairly skilled." Shepard asked. Garrus became agitated. It was easy to see that by his aggressive body language, and deeper breaths.

"It was my own damn fault. One of my people betrayed me." He took a shaky breath, and walked towards the door. Shepard stood straight, and followed him.

"A Turian named Sidonis. He drew me away just before the mercs attacked my squad, and then disappeared. Everyone in my squad is dead, except for me. Just because I hadn't seen it coming." He said, and turned around. His eyes were full of pain.

"I'm not sure I understand. What happened, exactly?" Shepard asked, and listened closely.

"Sidonis asked for my help on a job. When I got to the meeting point, no one was there. By the time I had gone back to our hideout, the mercs had killed all but two of our squad. They didn't last long, either." Garrus said. His flanged voice was troubled.

"Are you sure it was a betrayal? Maybe they took Sidonis out first?" Shepard suggested, trying to think of it, himself.

"No. I put out feelers with some old contacts. He booked transport off of Omega just before it happened. He also cleared out his private accounts. He sold me out and ran." Shepard's face hardens. He was a fairly patient man, and usually in charge of his feelings, but cowards almost always got under his skin.

"Do you know where Sidonis is now?" Shepard asked. He knew what Garrus wanted to do, and would support him on that. Sidonis needed to die.

"No. His trail goes cold after he left Omega. I'll keep hunting, though. I lost my whole team, except for Sidonis. When I find him...I'll correct that." His eyes widen, and he seems to get lost in memory for a second.

"Thanks for coming by, Shepard. I've got some things to take care of." Garrus walked by Shepard, and back into the main battery. Shepard stared at the man's back, feeling utterly sympathetic for the man. When he had lost Jenkins, it left a piece of him broken. When he left Ashley on Virmire...

He turned around, and walked towards the elevator. He was busy thinking to himself, wondering how the hell he's going to pull this goddamn mission off. Even if he did succeed, what would be the cost? A grim look settled on his face, as he finally entered the elevator. He pressed deck two, and waited for what seemed like forever. The one thing Cerberus needed to fix, and the elevator was only a fraction of a damn second faster than the original's.

Grumbling to himself after he left the elevator, he made his way to the galaxy map, and walked up to it. He looked over the map, and decided he would begin his second recruiting mission at Purgatory, due to the small distance between Omega and there.

"Joker, fly us to Purgatory. I've got a recruit to see." He said, and waited for a response.

"Of course, Commander. Should take us around three hours. Maybe enough for a small nap. After all the bullshit on Omega, you may need one." Joker said. He was right.

"I may just do that, Joker. Thank you." He walked towards the elevator, and pressed deck one. When he finally came out of the elevator, he realized just how tired he was, and how much he needed a nap. He pushed towards his door, and waited for them to open. He heard how quiet it was in there, and sighed. He remembered bringing Tali in here, and allowing her to sleep in his bed. She couldn't stand the quiet of the ship. He had the loudest room. He remembered how bashful she was when he suggested it, and a smile came onto his lips. He missed the quirky Quarian engineer.

He approached his bed, and laid down on the soft mattress. He felt his eyes become to heavy to fight against, and closed them. He drifted off into a deep sleep.

Logan took a nap in the cot that he was assigned to. He was having a nightmare.

 _It felt as if lava poured down his veins. He tried to scream, but his throat was not allowing him to. His eyes melted out of his skull due to the sheer heat of the experience. He thrashed wildly, the pain from his molten bones beginning to seriously kick up. His skin began to glow lightly, as the burning metal radiated._

" _Extraordinary. I never imagined the process would go this well." Cornelius said as he watched the event play out. Logan's skull began to broaden, and a sick crack was heard. His hands, his shoulders. They all expanded with sick cracks and pops. He threw his head back and grit his teeth as his face began to burn. The metal began to coat his face, and the center of his face began to melt slightly. His healing factor was doing its best, but the pain was unbearable._

" _He is holding up well, given the circumstances. Shall we continue the bonding process?" His assistant asked. He was fat, and had a sloppy combination of hair and facial hair._

" _Yes. Maximize the power output. We must hurry." Logan's eyes had finally healed back into his head when he finally realized what happened. He thought the pain was bad, but he hadn't experienced the full thing yet._

"No!" He awoke with his claws swinging wildly, the memory still vivid after centuries. He fell out of the pod and slammed against the metal floor. He looked up and saw the Commander staring back down with sympathetic eyes. He wasn't scared about almost being made a shish kebab. He was worried for his crewmate.

"Logan...Are you alright? You must've had one hell of a nightmare." He said, and Logan grunted.

"Fine. Didja need me? Or do ya like watching other men sleep?" He shot back at the Commander, who seemed to struggle keeping a smile off of his face.

"We've reached Purgatory. We're docking as you and I speak. I want you for this mission. We're recruiting Subject Zero. If we run into any issues there...I need you to have my back." Logan listened to the words. Someone needing him. He remembered when he was needed by a lot more than just the Commander. The entire group of students, teachers, and residents...He failed them all. He shook his head.

"Yeah. I'm right behind ya." He said, and followed the Commander to the armory. He found a locker with his name, and opened it. Inside was a set of armor. It resembled his costume back on Earth, during his time as an X-Man. He looked at the helmet, and saw the pointed black ears hanging off of it.

"Someone's read too many fucking comic books." He complained, and quickly got the armor on. He left the helm for last. It left his mouth uncovered, had white eyes, and seemed to be made of a thick metallic substance.

The rest of the armor was made of similar material. His arms were bare from his tricep to his elbow, and his biceps were also bare. He quickly put the armor on, and looked in one of the mirrors of the room. The armor was black, blue, and yellow. His torso was yellow, with black stripes coming down from his shoulder guards, which were black. His sides were also black. His thighs were yellow, as were his knees. His boots were dark blue, with black stripes running down the center. He placed the heavy gloves on his hands, and secured them. He stood without his mask on, and grimaced.

"I look fucking ridiculous." He said. His icy blue eyes looked up towards Shepard and Garrus, who stood there looking at him. Garrus coughed.

"I actually think you look pretty badass, Logan." Shepard said, and crossed his arms. Logan grunted, and lowered the helmet over his face. It automatically fit to his face, and connected to the raised collar of the armor. He blinked, and the white eye lens close with them. They glowed lightly, almost like a Quarian's eyes, and a HUD could be seen through them. A small map was in the lower left corner, and the shield statuses of both the Commander and Garrus popped up.

"Never had gear like this." He noted to himself, and shrugged his shoulders. They looked at him and nodded.

"Load up, Logan. You may be best at close quarters, but I have read you're an expert marksman. Since Garrus and I, here, specialize in long-distance fire, bring a shotgun. Preferrably something more of your speed. Maybe a Scimitar, and a carnifex if you're up for it." He said, and looked at the man. He looked at the weapon in front of him and held it.

"Haven't held and used a gun in a long time. Huh, figure I'm a bit rusty." Logan said, and placed them on his back. He placed extra ammo in the belt that Cerberus made for the armor. He nodded, and made sure they knew he was all set.

They made their way towards the airlock, and waited for them to be connected to the prison.

They were met by a guard, but the Turian understood who the Commander was, and gave him a brisk nod. Due to the man's reputation, he was revered across the galaxy. Logan didn't blame anyone for that. The Citadel would be gone if it weren't for the Commander's efforts.

They made their way towards a well armed and armored Turian. He was carrying a high-grade assault rifle.

"Welcome to the Purgatory, Shepard. Your package is being prepped, and you can claim it shortly. As this is a high security vessel, you'll need to relinquish your weapons before we proceed." Logan's arms immediately cross, as he stared at the Turian in front of him. His forearms began to itch, as he got ready for a fight.

"I can't do that." Shepard said simply, and Logan's face broke into an unnerving smile. Mixed with the strange helmet and glowing white eyes, the guards were extremely put off by the human.

"Everyone stand down. Commander, I'm Warden Kuril. This is my ship. Your weapons will be returned on the way out. You must realize that this is standard procedure." The Turian said, attempting to reason with the Commander. Shepard took a step with his right foot, and lifted his hand.

"And it's my standard procedure to keep my guns." His voice was hard, and the two men began to have a small stare off. Logan's respect for the Commander grew. He knew the man had a pair, but he didn't realize he would willingly challenge a prison warden while they were in said prison.

"Let them proceed. Our facility is more than secure enough to handle three armed guests. We're bringing Jack out of cryo. As soon as the funds clear, you'll be on your way. If you'll follow me to Outprocessing for the pickup, Commander." He said. A new edge on his flanged voice. Logan looked at Garrus.

"Let's go, then." The Commander said, and the two behind him followed.

"Cellblock Two. As you can see, we keep tight control over the population. Each prisoner's cell is a self-contained, modular unit. I've blown a few out of the airlock as an example. The ship is made up of thirty of these cell-blocks. We house thousands of prisoners. We can put the whole place on lockdown in a moment's notice." He stops, and turned around. He looked to see how the three were holding up.

"Nothing goes wrong here." He said with surprising finality. Logan believed that arrogance would bite him in the ass, later. He kept his arms crossed, and his eyes trained on the Turian in front of him.

"Can you tell me about Jack?" The Commander asked, and leaned back. He stared at the man, and waited for a response.

"Cerberus hasn't told you?" He asked, and wrung his hands. He quickly seemed to grow nervous at the idea of Subject Zero.

"Jack is the meanest handful of violence and hate that I've ever encountered. Dangerous, crazy, and very powerful. You'll see, soon enough." At the description, both Garrus and Shepard sneakily glanced at Logan. He looked back over and his lip curled.

"What're you girls looking at?" They looked away innocently.

"How'd you end up running this ship?" Shepard asked, and looked at the Turian in front of him.

"I was in Law Enforcement on Palaven, and got sick of seeing criminals escape out into the galaxy to carry on with their crimes. Bounty hunters aren't dependable. Eventually, I hit upon this idea. Keep the criminals in space and the galaxy is safe." He said, and Shepard's eyes furrowed.

"You do this because you think it's necessary?" He asked. And opened his arms, referring to the entire facility's seeming use of extreme methods.

"Every day I see the worst sapient life has to offer. Governments are soft, unwilling to make the hard decisions. Someone had to stand up and make the galaxy safe." He said. Logan held back a sneer. The piece of shit was lying. He did this to make a profit.

"Maintaining a population this size in space can't be cheap." The Commander said, and knew that the man would slip up. He may not have Logan's senses, but the Commander could tell when he was being bullshitted.

"We can cut corners that governments can't. Each prisoner brings in a fee from his homeworld. These individuals are violent, and their home planets pay well to keep them here." He said. The Commander got him with this one, and he knew it.

"What happens if the homeworld doesn't want to pay." Logan's fist clenched, and he got ready for whatever may happen after this. If Shepard found out too much, or came to the right conclusion, then this man may attempt to do something about it.

"We explain that we can't maintain the prisoner without their help, so we'll be forced to release them back to their homeworld. At an unspecified time and place." He added the last bit with a hint of malice.

"You're extorting them." Logan growls, and his eyes narrow. The Turian's eyes also harden, and he looked at the group again. Garrus and Shepard were silent, and were awaiting for whatever else he had to say.

"You don't have to agree with my methods, but don't question my motives. These are despicable people, and I'm keeping them locked up." He said. Logan's lip curls, and he knew that Garrus wasn't happy with this, either.

"Have there been any escape attempts?" Garrus asks, as they begin to move again.

"We're in space. They have nowhere to go-and they know it. Still, these people are dangerous, and we exercise extreme caution." They watch as two prisoners about to fight got separated by some sort of stasis field. It was quite impressive.

"We have ways to control the population." He said, and they walked through a set of doors. He stops, and the trio stopped with him.

"I'm going to make sure the funds from Cerberus have cleared. Outprocessing is straight down this hallway. Just keep going past the interrogation rooms, and the supermax wing." He begins to walk away.

"I'll catch up with you later...Shepard." Logan grunted, and let his arms go down to his side.

"I don't like him, Shepard. He smelled like he was up to no good. Expect a trap of some sort." Logan froze, as his hearing picked something up. The impact of a weapon against flesh, and the sound of a man weakly grunting and screaming from the beating.

"Shepard..." The man turned around, and saw Logan's eyes narrowed. He pointed to the area with his head, and they turn the corner.

"You don't even get good information this way. Eventually the prisoner would admit to anything to get the pain to stop." Logan could hear Shepard's heart begin to beat furiously, and could smell the chemicals that made one angry enter his blood. He watched the Commander walk up to a Turian.

"Is there something I can do for you?" He asked, as if he was bored. Logan made sure he was within melee distance, in case things go south. His eyes resting on the Commander.

"There's no excuse for beating a prisoner who can't fight back." He said, and crossed his arms. The prison guard seemed to suddenly become stiff, and rigid.

"This is a massage compared to what his victims went through." He said, attempting to justify it.

"This degrades you as much as him." The guard sighed, and looked forward.

"We have orders." He shot back, quickly.

"You're not important enough to make your own decisions?" Garrus and Logan watched as the guard seemed to relax, and his head hung limp for a moment. The two look at one another and shake their heads. Leave it to Shepard to diplomatically fix things.

"I admit...I sometimes get tired of this. Does this really get us anything useful?" He asked, seemingly more to himself than to the Commander. The Commander rested a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Stop this...For your own sake." He said softly. The Turian nodded, and set his head.

"Yeah. You're right. Call it off. At least, for now." The interrogator's arm stopped mid-swing, and the human prisoner darted on his knees across the small cell. He went into fetal position, his hands covering his head, and rocked himself back and forth. The guard had effectively broken the man.

"Hey! Hey guys, over here. Lemme ask you something." Shepard walked over, drawing stifled groans from the two men he was with.

"If you're buying prisoners, can you buy me? Man, I don't care where you take me or what you do with me, but it's gotta be better than here." The human prisoner seemed to be sane enough, but Shepard's mind was on what he must have done to get here.

"We're here for Jack, not for Joe Shmoe." Logan said, and crossed his arms.

He was right, of course. Shepard led them to Outprocessing, where a man at the terminal informed them that they would have to go to the far side of the room. The hair on Logan's body stood on end. He looked at Garrus, and knew the old cop felt the same thing. This was a trap.

"My apologies, Shepard. You're more valuable as a prisoner than a customer." The warden's voice came over the intercom, and Logan growled.

"Drop your weapons and proceed into the open cell. You shall not be harmed." He said, and Logan grunted.

"Shepard, we both know he's lying. He betrayed us once, he'd do it again." Garrus said, and Logan nodded.

"Maybe I can change your mind." Logan chuckled. Even in this situation, he was looking for a diplomatic means of ending things.

"Activate the systems." The warden cried out over the intercom, and Shepard dove into cover. Logan did as well. Garrus split to the right, attempting to find a place to hide his sniper rifle. Logan looked at the Commander, who nodded. Logan swung around the corner, dodging gunfire, and drawing their attention to him. A stray bullet almost hit him, but the blue shuddering showed that he had shields. Weird.

He sliced a Turian's gun in half, before stabbing him in the gut, and turning him to the others. While they were all focused on him, Garrus and Shepard mowed the rest of them down, easily. From his HUD, Logan could see that they were Blue Suns troopers. He walked towards the door, before a FENRIS mech made its way in the room. He quickly rolled to the side, and kept in front of it, eventually turning it, making its sides and back exposed to the other two. It was quickly ripped apart by continuous gunfire.

Blood and tissue flooded the floor. Logan looked down at the floor without a single care. He was used to seeing this shit. Three hundred years of constant skirmishes did that to a man. Garrus and Shepard, however, were both young. Shepard had to have been in his mid-twenties. Logan would guess around twenty seven, tops. Maybe even younger. Stress ages people.

They walked through the door, and quickly make their way down the hallway. Logan quickly takes the shotgun off of his back, and waits behind cover. He nods to the Commander, who nods back. He runs into the open, and slid on his knees, taking the oncoming troopers by surprise. Such closeness with a shotgun proved to be too much for shields, as one of the trooper's head explodes all over the hallway. He slammed a fist against the dead body, causing it to slam into the other trooper, disorienting him. He back-handsprung out of the line of fire, and behind cover, and the Commander and Garrus began to fire down the hallway. Their assault rifles cracking loudly. He peeked out of cover, and saw there were two left. He took a deep breath.

Running towards the window diagonal to him, he leapt off of the ground, and sprung against the window. He continued to do this, keeping the troopers off balance. The two other squad members quickly pushed forward, using Logan's distraction as a ticket to their progression. He came down on one, already putting his shotgun on his back. His Carnifex now in hand. He spun, sliding on the floor, slicing one Turian's legs off at the hip, while shooting the other between the eyes. They both dropped dead on the floor.

"Spirits..." Garrus said, and looked at the man. Logan breathed heavily, more from adrenaline, than exertion. He was amped. He smiled, and laughed loudly.

"I can't tell you the last time I was able to do that, Shepard." He said, and stood straight. They continued down the hall, where Logan finally put his Carnifex on his hip. His shotgun was back in his hand. The Commander carried his assault rifle, and Garrus did the same, carrying his sniper on his back.

"Shepard is on the loose! I repeat, Shepard is on the loose! Get people down here!" A random man said. The door opened, and Logan immediately shot the man until his shields were down. The man was clearly not a fighter, but he continued to shoot. He obviously missed, due to fear. Logan shot the man in the chest, sending the man flying off of his feet, and opening the flesh. He looked away, and blinked twice. The Commander walked towards the control terminal.

"Shepard, hacking that control, every door in the cellblock opens." He pointed out, and Logan nodded.

"It's the only way to get Jack outta there, Shepard." Logan said, and the man nodded. He nodded once, firmly.

"I'm doing it. Be ready." He said, and began to mess with the terminal. A massive mechanical arm suddenly activated, apparently startling a YMIR. The mech-and the three men-watched as the mechanical arm seemed to grab something. It began to twist, releasing a cloud of steam, and began to lift a cryo pod out of the floor.

As it lifted, the three men waited in anticipation. They were suddenly floored by the appearance of Jack. She was a small woman. She appeared to be shorter than Logan, and built very lightly. She had shaved hair, and heavy makeup around her eyes. Tattoos covered every inch of her body, and she was basically half-naked.

"Did anyone else expect a guy?" Garrus asked no one in particular. They all chuckled. Until she woke up, that is. Dark eyes open violently, before she already tears out of the restraints on her. She looks at the three mechs, and pure rage seemed to explode on her face. She unleashes a battle cry, as her skin began to gently glow blue. Her fist seemed to become a blue light, and she slammed into a mech, utterly destroying it.

"Holy shit." Logan muttered under his breath. His eyes were wide, and the other two simply nodded at his assessment. He turned to them, and they turned to him.

"Did she just..."

"Three YMIRs?"

"She's not a guy?" They began to chuckle at the last one, and quickly made their way out. They quickly followed the hallway, and came across the havack that the woman made on her way out. A large hole in the wall was blasted through, and she obviously made her way through there. They ran down the hallway, and through another door. A mechanical arm swung from the ceiling, before crashing to the ground.

"This girl's powerful, but not very subtle." They round the corner, and notice multiple troopers shooting at Jack. She was not in eyesight, but that was the only thing that they would be shooting at. They all quickly took cover behind the railing, and the Commander turned to the two men he was with.

"Logan, sneak up on those bastards down there, and kill them quietly. No guns. Garrus and I will use our sniper rifles to take out those bastards in front of the mech. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Move!" He said lowly to them, and the nod. Logan quietly vaulted over the railing, and landed on bent knees. He was utterly silent. He crouched, and silently made his way towards the first trooper. He hid behind cover, knowing there would be another right after him. He took a deep breath, and extended the claws of his right hand.

Quickly rolling out of cover, he grabbed the man, flipped him using his hip, and had his claws through his throat, eliminating his ability to speak. He quickly dragged the body behind cover, where it wouldn't be noticed, and peeked out. He could hear the sound of sniper fire being drowned out by the heavy weaponry of the YMIR, and had to admit that Shepard had been smart with his planning. He quickly snuck up behind the other trooper, grabbing his ankle, and pulling him down with him. All three claws went through his skull, and into his brain. He was dead, instantly.

The YMIR finally become concentrated on him, and he nodded. He leapt back up towards the railing, and figured he would use his superior speed to keep it off balance. Due to his claws, he knew he wouldn't have to wait for the shields this time. That was his mistake last time. It was the armor that was a pain the balls. He made sure he was nearly around the mech before leaping onto its back. He slammed his claws through whatever he could, ripping wires, metal, etc. out of the massive mech's back.

It finally began to shake, and shudder. The YMIR began to groan, and Logan laughed out loud as it finally fell over. He kicked the thing once, for effect.

"Good work, Logan." The Commander complimented, to which the man grunted. Garrus and Shepard chuckled at the man's lack of response.

"Shepard, the warden has locked down the area behind you. You must find another exit route." They all groan.

"Son of a bitch." Logan said under his breath, and they all agree. Logan promised to himself that he would kill that man once he got a hold of him.

As they closed in on a prison guard, they saw various wounds scattered all over the Turian's exposed body. Blue, copper-based blood pooled on the ground, and they all knelt besides it. Logan saw various knife wounds.

"This guard got swarmed by prisoners with improvised weapons. He didn't stand a chance." Logan usually didn't feel much at all, but he could tell the Commander was genuinely upset by this loss of life. He remembered when he used to be. In his younger days. When he met Xavier...He looked over when Garrus grunted.

"Shows you what kind of people these prisoners are. I don't agree with everything they do here, but they are in the galaxy's best interest. These guards kept maniacs away from innocent people." Logan nodded, and agreed for the most part. He was a bit more skeptical about the truth of the statement, though. He disagreed that they held the interests of the galaxy at heart, but no doubt the galaxy benefitted from these prisoners being there. They felt another violent shake.

"Come on, through this door." Shepard said, and they entered through the door. They quickly came across more troopers, to which they pulled their usual tactic. Logan's hand was on his shotgun, and he nodded to the Commander. He vaulted off of the cover in front of them, and landed in between two troopers. In one fluent movement, his right hand's claws was in a trooper's throat, and his right hand pressed the trigger of his shotgun, blowing a gaping hole through the trooper's armor, sending him flying onto the ground. Logan sheathed his claws, and the Turian's limp body fell to the floor.

He hid behind cover, and watched Garrus use Logan's distraction, and Shepard's fire to nail a trooper right between the eyes. His head caved in, most of it disappearing. His blood and brains splattered onto the wall behind him. The last one paused momentarily, and seemed to not know what to do. Logan's keen eyes spotted an explosive right next to the man's feet, and chuckled. He quickly took his Carnifex off of his hip, and shot the barrel, blowing the man's entire lower half off. His screams echoed around the room.

"Logan...Put him out of his misery." Shepard said, and Logan nodded. He leapt up to the walkway, and saw the man crawling somewhere. His intestines and spine dragging against the floor. He unsheathed his claws and stuck them into the man's head, pinning him to his spot. He stopped moving instantly. He took the claws out, and sheathed the claws. His left hand still held the Carnifex.

He put the gun on his hip as they made their way forward, and they launched into cover when they noticed a group of five or six troopers come down towards their direction.

"Keep them on their toes, Logan. We'll take care of them. Make sure they don't know we're here." He said, and Logan nodded. He somersaulted over cover, and immediately dodged their gunfire. He was too fast for them to get a beat on. He dove right through a Turian's leg, stabbing the trooper straight through the ankle, before tripping him, and leaping clear over the group. He landed, and quickly hid behind the small wall separating them. He took a deep breath, hearing the gunfire continue to pelt the little space between him and six, maybe five now that Turian was down, streams of gunfire. When he heard the fire pause, he took a step out of cover, and made sure to stay in their sights. He watched one's head all but burst open like a watermelon, and one's knee become all but destroyed. Both fell to the floor, one completely out of the fight, due to death, and the other being totally incapacitated. He felt his shields take two hits, and took a sharp turn, running straight towards a Turian trooper.

He leapt off of his feet, grabbed the Turian's shoulder, landed on his feet, and-using the momentum from flying through the air-threw him into the air above the Commander. The Commander easily shot the man as he sailed in the air, and the Turian's dead body fell to the metal floor. Logan quickly rolled to avoid gunfire, and spun. He saw another trooper die from the fire, and two were left. Logan quickly pushed off the floor, unsheathing his claws, and spun as fast as he could. The mess of blood and gore left of the two Turians splashed all around him, nearly hitting Shepard and Garrus, who had to turn their eyes.

"YMIR incoming!" Logan cried once he saw the monstrosity lumbering towards them. Logan unsheathed both hands' claws, and quickly rushed the mech. He dodged the slow targeting system of the YMIR, and rolled behind a wall. He waited for the YMIR to get closer before leaping onto the top of his cover, and landing behind the YMIR. He help up a hand to the other two, and slammed a clawed hand into the side of the YMIR, instantly making it start to jitter with electricity. He leapt onto its shoulders, and stuck his claws into the neck area, attempting to jostle it loose. With all of his strength, he grunted. He ripped the head of the mech off, and threw it to the Commander.

"A gift from me to you, Commander." The men all share a laugh. Before all of their shields took an impact. They quickly flew into whatever cover they could find, and pressed hard against it. Logan quickly peeked over, and nearly got hit in the helmet with a bullet. He ducked back down, and looked over to the Commander.

"Logan, you're fast enough to cover the distance. You'll most likely be tagged, but I know it isn't a big deal for you. Concentrate on pushing them to that walkway to the northwest of us, understood?" Logan nodded, and took a deep breath. He pulled the Carnifex off of his hip, and quickly somersaulted over cover. His shields were nearly instantly down, and he felt two bullets enter his left arm. He dove behind cover, and held his arm up. He watched the bullets pop out of his skin, and thud against the floor. He dove out of cover, and shot three bullets at the trooper. Two cut his shields down, the first slammed through his skull. He rushed the bridge, sheathing the pistol as he did so. He made sure they were backing up towards the bridge, not brave enough to move any direction other than backwards.

Garrus and Shepard stood and unleashed a torrent of bullets from their assault rifles. What remained of the man Logan had cornered were decimated, as their lifeless bodies collapsed to the floor. Logan looked back to the Commander and Garrus, who jogged to catch up to him.

"Nice shooting, Logan. You hit that guy right between his eyes." Garrus complimented, and Logan nodded.

They entered the next room, and saw the Warden standing above a crate, openly firing upon prisoners. Most of them were unarmed. He relented for a second, before firing at the trio. They had already reached cover, but it was close to hitting Shepard.

"You're valuable, Shepard. I could've sold you and lived like a king. You're too much trouble! At least I can recapture Jack." Kuril said to himself, as if rationalizing the entire thing to himself. Garrus and Shepard shook their head, and Logan growled.

"Not happening! You're a two-bit slave trader, and I don't have time for it." The Warden's gun came up, and he held up a hand, as if dismissing what the Commander had said.

"I do the hard things civil governments are unwilling to do! This is for the good of the galaxy!" Logan couldn't believe his ears.

"Shepard, this guy's a fucking nutcake!" Logan yelled over the sound of gunfire. Shepard saw the shield generators around the room, and nodded. He knew what to do.

"Logan, take out the shield generators. We got your back." Garrus nodded, and Logan quickly bolted towards the nearest shield generator. With a quick two slashes, the shield generator laid in pieces on the floor. He followed his HUD to the second one, easily disabling that as well. When his shields failed, he ignored the burning pain in his thigh and left tricep, and leapt over multiple troopers. It distracted them enough for Garrus and Shepard to get the jump on them, and quickly take them out.

When Logan got to the third, he heard Shepard grunt. He must've been tagged. He quickly made work of the third, tearing it to shreds. One more was left, and he quickly ran towards the fourth. He ripped it to shreds in seconds. The Warden noticed this, and he felt himself being sent flying off his feet. He must have used an explosive round. His shield was down, and his armor was damaged in the back.

"Shot me in the back." He muttered under his breath. He looked over to the Commander, who had his eyes trained on the Warden. He watched the man's eyes harden, and nodded. He quickly bolted to the left, making sure to hug alongside cover. He knew the bullets had already been pushed out of his body, but he didn't focus on that. He was focused on one thing. Anger. He quickly leapt up to the Turian man. He quickly smacked the gun out of his hand, and used a powerful leg to kick him down towards the Commander.

He looked over to the Commander, who stared coldly at the man. He nodded at Logan, who nodded back. He straddled the man, not even bothering to unsheathe his claws.

"Shepard..." Garrus began, but he held the man back.

Logan's first fist came down. The sound of his heavy hand smashing into the armored skin of the Turian echoed around the empty room. Soon, another hit rained down. This one stronger than the last. The punches became harder and harder, the Turian's leg twitching and he cried out.

"This is what those inmates felt. You wanna confess something, Warden?" Logan asked, as he kept hitting him. Soon, the man's cries ended, and his legs stopped twitching. Copper blood dripped off of Logan's grieves, and blue blood was all over his face. He looked over to the Commander, who stared hard at the dead body. He looked over to Garrus who couldn't watch another Turian be beaten to death. Logan nodded, and stood.

They saw Jack sprint through a door, and Logan heard a minor scuffle emerge in the room. They quickly ran towards the way they needed to go, and entered the hallway towards the door. They enter the room, and see the small woman barely constraining her rage. Her movements were jerky, and she seemed to be seething. Logan imagined frying an egg on the top of her head and cracked a stupid grin. Shepard quickly downed a guard running towards Jack, getting her attention.

"What the hell do you want?" She said, and looked the trio over.

"You're in a bad situation, and I'm going to get you out of here." Shepard said, and opened his arms. He was trying to be as open and non-threatening to her as possible. Logan nodded his approval. He was smart for doing that.

"Shit, you sound like a pussy." At that, Logan began laughing out loud. His hands went to his stomach, and he bent over. Garrus chuckled, as well. Shepard looked at the both of them as if he felt betrayed.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. With Cerberus." Jack said, pacing the floor. Logan could tell she was still agitated, and could smell the anger rolling off of her in waves. Her heart practically slammed its beats out. This was one seriously pissed off woman. He was kinda turned on by it, if he was being completely honest with himself.

"Why does it matter if I'm with Cerberus?" Shepard asked, trying to get some answers from her. Jack seemed to visibly calm down enough to think correctly.

"They've been on my ass for years. Anytime I go free, they put a big bounty on me. That's why Warden Kuril figured he'd struck gold when he caught me." He nodded, and looked over to his two allies.

"I'm offering to be your friend, Jack. You don't wanna be my enemy." Shepard said. The entire mission was clearly aggravating him, and he still had a bullet that grazed his ribs. His teeth clench at the thought of it.

"They have a way of dying." Garrus supports him, and shifts his weight to his left leg.

"You show up in a Cerberus frigate and expect me to come with you? Do you think I'm stupid?" She asked, clearly starting to become angry.

"Yes the hell I do. Darlin', you're arguing against the one ticket off this fucking hellhole." Logan said, and crossed his arms.

"Look, you want me to come with you, make it worth my while." She said, walking towards them. Logan noticed how small her frame was up close, but how beautiful her tattoos were. Sure, they were rough on the eyes, but they held their own story. He wondered what they all meant.

"Join my team, and I'll do what I can for you." Shepard said, also taking a step forward. He was telling the truth. Shepard would literally do whatever the woman wanted for her support. She needed to be able to trust and rely on the man, both as a leader and as a man.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She said, and stared at him with hard eyes.

"I bet your ship's got lots of Cerberus databases. I want to look at those files. See what Cerberus has got on me. You want me on your team, let me go through those files." She crossed her arms, and leaned on her leg.

"I'll give you full access." He said without a pause. Jack's eyes widen a bit, and Logan chuckled.

"He did the same thing for me." Logan said, and the woman snapped her head over to him.

"So you're being straight up with me?" She asked, clearly surprised by this turn of events. Shepard nodded firmly, and the two men behind her also nodded.

"So why the hell are we still standing here?" She asked. The three men chuckled, and Shepard called for them to move out.

* * *

"Welcome to the Normandy, Jack. I'm Miranda, Shepard's second-in-command. On this ship, we follow orders." Her very blue eyes stare into Jack's dark brown ones, and her voice was very heavily laced with sarcasm, and an underlying tone of accusation. Jack's eyes narrowed. Logan, Garrus, and Shepard watched the exchange, waiting for a reaction from Jack. When they found that Miranda hadn't been made a bloody smear on the wall, they were partly relieved, and partly impressed.

"Tell the Cerberus cheerleader to back off, Shepard. I'm only here because of our deal." Shepard stood behind the 'Cerberus cheerleader' and leaned over, so his head could be seen. Logan found it funny enough to have to stop himself from chuckling. While he was out in the galaxy, taking in bounties, he wasn't much of a laugher. He saw shit he didn't wanna discuss, and was surrounded by shitty company. The Commander and Garrus were two of the funniest sons of bitche he's ever met, though.

"Miranda will let you into the system. Tell me what you find." He said, leaving the end for zero discussion. Jack took a step towards Miranda, obviously disliking the woman and everything she stood for.

"Hear that, precious? You and I are gonna be friends. You, me, and every other embarrassing little secret. I'll be reading down in the hold, or somewhere near the bottom. Don't like all the traffic." She began to walk through the doorway, and turned her head for a second.

"Keep your people off of me. Better that way." As soon as she was out of the door, Logan whistled.

"She was something." He said, and looked over to the other people in the room.

"What, tell me that badass attitude doesn't get you hot!" The three remain to stare at him, and he rubs the back of his head.

"Shepard?" Absolute silence, and the Commander's left eyebrow rose.

"Garrus?" Garrus coughed to stifle a laugh.

"Miranda? Come on." Miranda's resting bitch face told Logan everything he needed to know. He cleared his throat, and nodded.

"Right." He lifts the helm off of his head, and rests it on the table. He looked at the other two, and they still were staring at him.

"Oh, fuck you all." They chuckled at his expense, and he joined them.

"Miranda, is her attitude towards you going to be an issue on our mission? I will try to speak to her and figure her out, but I refuse to allow petty bullshit to get in the way of the bigger picture." He said, and stared at her. Logan nodded, happy that the attention was finally off of him. He realized that Shepard's question was a good one. A team needed to be able to work together without any hesitation, or question. Quarrels over petty reasons was a good way to fuck everything up.

"No, Commander. Despite her being insufferable, I shall manage to keep my patience. Just keep her away from my office, and I'll be fine." She said, nodded, and left. The three men, still fully armored and armed, stood in the room. Shepard sighed, rubbed his forehead, and placed his two hands on the table.

"You did well, Shepard. Jack is going to a huge plus against those Collector jackasses." Garrus said, and nodded to him. Logan grunted in agreement.

"You two have had the most experience with psychotic people. You think she's going to be an issue?" He said, unmoving. His face pursed up, and looked over to the two other men. Logan crossed his arms and thought about it.

"Shep, I think that's grade-A bullshit. Don't get me wrong, this chick'll slit your throat if she wants to, but I think the entire tough image is just that. An image. She's been through shit. I can see that." He said, and the Turian nodded.

"Agreed. The standoffish personality is for her own self-protection. I've bumped into people like her over my career. Hard to gain their trust, but you have it forever once you do." He noted, to which the other men nod. Logan's thoughts fell back to Charles, when he gained the man's trust. He gave him answers. After so many years of wandering cluelessly.

"Shepard, I know what she's going through...Maybe I can talk to her. Or...Try to." Logan said, and looked at the man. Shepard stood straight, and looked down at the shorter man.

"Alright, Logan. I'll forget the earlier comments, and hope you take this seriously." Shepard said, joking.

"Come on, let's get this armor off. I need to wash Purgatory off of me." He said. Logan looked down to his gauntlets. Warden Kuril's copper blood had dried. He looked back to the man, and followed him towards the armory.

 **R &R, please? I am writing this story to the best of my ability, and would appreciate feedback. **


	3. The Citadel

It had been a couple weeks since they went to Purgatory, they had stopped and resupplied before heading back off into space. With no more serious missions at the moment, their next stop would be the Citadel. The Commander was going to recruit the best thief in the galaxy. A woman by the name of Kasumi Goto, a woman from Japan. Shepard also needed to talk to the Council, specifically Councilor Anderson.

"Shepard, we are approaching the Citadel." EDI said, and a light alarm went off in his room. He groaned, and wished he could have at least five more minutes. He hasn't slept nearly enough since he woke up on that Cerberus base. He stands, and shuffles his feet towards the door to his cabin. He got into the elevator, and quickly made his way to Mess.

Logan was already awake, sipping on a beer, and eating what looked to be a sausage. He looked up to the Commander, and did a single nod. It had been three days since they had met, yet he could tell he was beginning to gain the man's respect. For that, he was glad. There were few people the Commander wanted to be on the bad side of, and Logan was one of those people.

He grabbed a piping hot cup of coffee, asked Gardner for scrambled eggs and some bacon, and sat down at a table. A datapad was in his hand, and he quickly read some news. Apparently, the news of Purgatory's destruction was already being cast into the galaxy, and some inmates and guards had been rescued by whomever was in the area, or just so happened to be passing by. He was glad that the guards had been rescued, but the inmates worried him. He was glad that majority of the scumbags in there had been eviscerated in the blast. He was usually a very compassionate human being, but to be there in the first place was a clear sign that one was not a good person, and did not deserve said compassion.

He noticed Garrus come through the door, and a big smile couldn't help but come onto his face. Garrus was the only person on the ship that he truly trusted. The hunt for Saren was one of the most stressful times of his young life. He had been twenty five when the mission began, and just a bit over twenty-six when it was over. He should be twenty eight, but still remained the same age, physically, and mentally. Garrus was only a couple years younger than he, having been in the police force for a couple years.

The two men were too young for all of the shit they have seen. Whether it was the husks that Cerberus had produced, or the Geth slaughtering innocent people with that synthetic apathy, or even the sight of Saren shooting himself in the head. They had missed their chances of being normal young men of their species, and instead carried the role of being soldiers of the galaxy. Both were unhappy with their current alliance with Cerberus, but it was that much more bearable now that they had one another's backs. It would always be easier when a friend is behind you.

His mind lingers to Tali, and he feels his heart hurt. He hadn't heard from her, recently, and knew she must be busy. The idea of her being hurt in Geth space made his breath hitch, and he quickly put his eyes to the table. His heart sped up, and he breathed deeply. His feelings for her was left unspoken, of course. She was a young woman on her Pilgrimage when they had met one another, and they were of different races. He hadn't wanted to overstep any lines. He didn't know if she felt the same towards him, but he certainly hoped so. It was something his mind went to, often. Mostly about how it would work. If he could feel this strongly for her without seeing her face, did it really matter?

She, Garrus, Liara, Wrex, Ashley, Kaidan, Anderson, and Hackett were the only men and women that he trusted with his life. Without even a single question. They had all proven their loyalty to him, and that his faith in them was not misplaced.

"What is it that you Humans say? 'Penny for your thoughts?'" Shepard was drawn out of his thoughts by the flanged voice of Garrus, who smirked at the expense of the Commander.

"Asshole. Take a seat. Plenty of space. Even for annoying Turians." Shepard said, and gestured an arm over the empty seat across from him. The Turian sat down in the chair, and placed his dextro food down on the table. He stuck his fork into a weird purple slab of mystery, and began to chew on it. He seemed to enjoy it, as he closed his eyes and hummed.

"That looks like shit." Shepard said, and cracked a smile. Garrus' eyes snap open, and he glared at the Commander.

"You seriously want to compare foods, squishy?" Garrus sarcastically said. He had picked the term up from Wrex, knowing that Shepard absolutely hated being called that.

"I am _not_ squishy. Salarians are squishy. Hell! Hanar are squishy." Garrus openly laughed at the man's outrage, satisfied that he had successfully gotten under the man's skin. Shepard realized he fell right into Garrus' trap, and glared at the Turian across from him.

"At least I'm not covered in plates, you chicken chested bastard." Shepard said, and took a sip of his coffee, sighing after he did so. Garrus nearly choked on his food, and quickly coughed once he was done swallowing.

"Shepard, you know I don't know what a chicken is. I kinda don't wanna, now." He said, and they both laughed together. Shepard was happy. This was like the old times. The two of them shooting the shit, and making jokes at one another's expense. It was even better when the rest of the crew joined in. No one had been spared. Even Tali-the youngest and most innocent of the entire crew-hadn't been spared by the merciless crew of the Normandy. He remembered how bashful he had been when she first joined the Normandy. The jokes often flew over her head, and she would be left wondering if it was personal. Of course it wasn't, and they made sure she understood it was a joke. Towards the end of the search, she had joined in on the ribbing, and eventually became one of the quickest wits on the ship.

"Say, you don't suppose we should invite Logan over here, Shepard? I reckon it'd be best if we tried to learn more about him. Especially the way he is on the battlefield. We thought Wrex was the most dangerous bastard we've seen with a gun?" They heard Logan chuckling, and saw him take a large bite out of his sausage. He took a swig of beer right after, and belched fairly loudly.

They watched as he stood, walked up to the counter, and waited about a minute or so. Mess Sergeant Gardner handed him a plate, and Logan nodded his head. The muscular man walked by the table, nodding his head to the two men, before leaving the Mess Hall. They watched him disappear around the corner.

"Well, at least we know he can heal everything she'll do to him." Garrus said, slyly. The two friends burst into another round of chuckles, and began to rag on each other more.

* * *

Logan made his way out of the elevator, and walked the short distance to the biotic's lair. She had taken over the bottom of the engineering deck, whereas he took over the first level of it. He was a minute from her, walking the slowest he could possibly muster.

Unlike the others on the ship, maybe not Miranda-or Shepard-he was totally fine with speaking to Jack. He had known girls just as dangerous as she, namely...His heart pangs with the memories. He stops thinking about her, as he finally reaches the small woman. She looks up from her spot, and stares at the plate in his hand.

"You know, you don't always have to do this for me." She said, and motioned her hand towards the plate. He holds it out to her, and she looks back into his eyes. She took the plate, and the utensils that he held in a pocket. He sat on the floor, his back against the wall, and put his head back against the metal. He heard her subtle moans and excitement at eating. He also heard when she was done. He looked over, and his hair bobbed over his eyes. He tilts his head, allowing it to shift.

"I'm still surprised the food doesn't taste like ass. Haven't had a cook like this in a long time." Logan said, and she looked over to him. She looks down at the plate.

"Why do you continue to do this?" She asks, and looks back at him.

"Because no one else on the ships gets you." He responded back, simply. She looks at him, and her eyes suddenly harden.

"You think you're gonna come down here and fuck with me like that?" He looked over. One thick eyebrow rose, as he was clearly puzzled.

"What, you don't think I know what you're doing? Trying to butter me up by telling me you understand, and that you know what it's like?!" She yelled, and stood suddenly. He stood as well, and took a step forward.

"Darlin', that's not my intent-" She held up a hand, and he stopped. He knew not to push, and to await her response. She looks at him, and he sees the pain that she carries. He knew this was a very touchy conversation, and he would have to be careful about how he responds.

"If you just want to mindlessly fuck me, tell me so. Meaningless sex means nothing, and can remain that way." He chuckles, and immediately she is confused.

"Darlin', if ya had lemme finish, I'd tell ya what I meant by it. Listen. You and me? We're not like these guys. The hero, the 'perfect' bitch, the egghead, the sniper, and the meaningless crew around us. You and me? We're killers. We've done some bad shit." He looked over to her, and noticed that she had grown quiet. She didn't know what to say.

"I know that you've been hurt. Hell, I've gone through my fair share of shit. I just wanted to let you know that you and me? We're all we got, right now. I've got your back." He said softly. It was true. She reminded him a lot of him, once he had escaped the Weapon X facility. His face seemed to reflect his inner turmoil, as she nods.

"Uh...Thanks, Logan. I actually kinda like talking to someone more of my speed." Logan looked down at his boots, and back up to her.

"Don't mention it. Just...Try not to destroy the ship next time you get upset." He held out a large hand, and her own small one goes in it. She shakes it firmly, and they both nod. He turns to leave, and she watches him go.

"What a confusing son of a bitch." She muttered, and swore that she heard him laugh as he left.

He came back up to his own room, and looked at the lack of belongings that ranged around the room. He looked down at his hands, and wondered what the fuck was left of the shit he once held close to him. He shook his head, and passed it off. He didn't have jack shit that was left.

He quickly typed away an email. Something that he refuses to do, regularly. He figured that a night at his favorite Earth bar would be nice. Even something so meaningless, it would still help to be there. One last time.

He had no idea what the hell the Collectors were capable of, and he didn't much care. He had lived long enough, and experienced enough, to basically accept whatever came towards him. Whether that meant death or life, he was at a point where he didn't much care what the fuck happened. Enough for one more beer at his favorite bar, but not enough to actively feel anything else.

He heard the elevator open, and the sound of someone receiving an email. He turned, and heard the door open. Shepard walked in casually, wearing a pair of jeans, and an N7 sweatshirt.

"Shepard." He greeted.

"Logan. How're you holding up?" Logan sighed, and paced around his room.

"Fine. Looking forward to docking. I'm pent up. Need a beer. Maybe some sex. Both'd be nice." He chuckled darkly, and the Commander's left eyebrow rose. Logan looked over and chuckled more.

"Don't look at me like that. You look like you need the same. Hit up a bar with me while we're there. We can get you straightened out." Logan said, and the Commander thought about it. Despite being uncomfortable talking about things so personal with someone he had just met-that wasn't fair. Logan had saved his life multiple times since they had met, and clearly cared about him. In his own way. He smiled, and relented.

"Alright, Logan. Just try not to get us killed." He said, and Logan chuckled.

"Can't promise you shit, Shepard. You just came down here to talk?" He asked, and Shepard nodded.

"Made it a habit of mine to know my crew. We might not return from this mission, Logan. Dropping your guard to these people may prove to be worth it. I just don't want to regret not doing so. Even the Cerberus ops are risking their lives. It's worth the time and effort, no?" He asked, and Logan nodded. He had a point, despite both of them absolutely hating Cerberus. It was not time to bring up the past. If they were to get things done, they had to play nice. Not being able to settle something for a much larger threat was simply immature, and not something the Commander planned on doing.

"So...Shep...I heard your heart beating a little quickly in the Mess Hall. Thinking of a certain someone?" Logan's shit-eating grin stretched across his face, and the man in question suddenly began to blush.

"I forgot you had sensitive senses." The Commander replied easily, and crossed his arms. Logan chuckled, the throaty sound echoed in the small, metal room.

"That didn't answer my question, Shepard." He was grinning again, and Shepard quickly rubbed his brow with his hand.

"Not that it's any of your business, Logan, but I do hold feelings for a certain someone. Hopefully you'll meet her, sometime soon." He said, and Logan nodded. His face became serious for a second.

"There's a lot of ways to get to know someone. Forget the bullshit the movies pull. The best way to understand someone is fear. I've seen you in times of fear, Commander, and you soldier through it. If you like this girl, chances are she's of good stock." He says, and the man nods. The girl he was referring to was of good stock.

"What about you, Logan? I saw the way you looked at Jack. Seems to be more than just your lower half making you feel that way." Shepard shot back, his own grin on his face. Logan rolled his eyes.

"Har-har. Jack is a good woman. I hate this soft shit. She's hot. She's someone I get. She's more than what she shows. There." He said, as if ending the subject. Shepard just laughs at him, and Logan's face becomes red in anger.

"Look, Shep-" Shepard held his hand out, and shook his head.

"I'm not laughing at you, Logan. I'm just imagining how Jack would respond to this. Listen, I get it. The girl I'm talking about isn't exactly your run-of-the-mill kind of girl, either. I've seen her make a man's head look like mashed potatoes, and seen her drone electrocute someone until their skin was fried. I get it." Logan's eyebrow rose at the last part.

"So she's a techy? Figures that you'd go for a nerd." He shot at the Commander, who feigned as if he was hurt.

"You wound me, Logan." They share a laugh, and continue to talk for a little bit. Despite Logan not usually talking to people, he felt comfortable around the Commander. He reminded him of Charles, to be truthful. A paragon to the people that cared about them. Ultimately good, even in the face of horrible evil. He respected the man. He didn't completely trust him, yet, but he respected him.

* * *

When they had finally reached the Citadel, they had to go in their armor. They were on official business. Shepard wore his typical Onyx armor with an avenger assault rifle holstered on his back. Garrus stood to his left, with his mantis holstered on his back, and a predator on his hip.

Logan looked at the back piece of his armor, which had been fixed by Jacob Taylor. The man was Cerberus, but from what Logan had seen, he was a decent kid. A little weakness to his stomach, but he was young. The mission would see to that little bit. Logan nodded to the dark-skinned man, and held his helm in his hands. He looked over to the ground team, who were clearly waiting for him. He grunted, and placed his helm on his head.

As soon as they got onto the station, Logan asked if they could sidetrack for a quick second. They quickly made their way towards the shops, and Logan held up a hand.

They stood in front of an Elcor vendor who was smoking a cigar. He was confused for all of a couple seconds, before pushing the thoughts into the back of his mind. He nodded to the massive alien, attempting to hide his laughter at the sight, and the Elcor slightly returned the gesture.

"With false exuberance: good evening, sir. Welcome to my store. Curiously: what is it that you're looking for?" The Elcor droned out with the species' typically monotone voice. Logan refrained from chuckling, and saw the Commander and Garrus having a harder time with it, as they had turned their backs from the counter.

"Just a stogie, bub." An Asari quickly appeared from nowhere, and handed Logan a cigar. He grabbed it, and threw a credit chit on the counter.

"Keep the change." He said, and could hear the Elcor's pause.

"Genuinely: thank you sir. Have a fine evening." As soon as they were out of the store, Garrus and the Commander burst into laughter, and Logan chuckled lightly. People obviously stared, as two well armed men wiped their eyes from laughter. He was surprised by their knack for humor, as they both were soldiers to the T. He was glad, though. Rather than forget who they were before all the shit hit the fan, they both seemed to take it in stride. Something he was beginning to respect.

"So...This friend of yours...What's his shtick?" He saw the Commander's eyes soften for a second, before hardening again. That was strange for him.

"Councilor Anderson is a good friend of mine. Always someone I looked up to. Doesn't fall into the bullshit that your average politician likes to delve into, and is straight as a straw. One of the few people I completely trust." He said, and Logan nodded. If the Commander trusted him, he knew there had to be a good reason as to why.

"Has no issue with Shepard's choice of company, either." Garrus said, dryly. Logan chuckled a bit at Garrus' tone. He couldn't help but agree, though. He noticed that people were beginning to seriously begin their xenophobic ideologies. He wondered if there was some sort of correlation between organizations like Cerberus starting to become serious power players.

"Another thing him and I agree on. Udina tends to disagree." His voice laced with hate at the name, and Logan couldn't help but look over to the Turian who simply shook his head. As they walked, Logan lit his cigar, and began smoking it. Due to his mouth being uncovered by his helm, it was easy for him. He took a deep drag, puffing the smoke away from him once he took it out of his mouth.

"How long have you been smoking, Logan?" Shepard asked the man, who turned to him. He took another drag as he thought about it. His first cigar...

"Can't tell ya, honestly. Probably since I figured out what a cigar was." He said, nonchalantly. The two other men blanched. This man has been smoking for almost three centuries.

Despite that, Shepard's thoughts lie elsewhere. His mind thought of Tali, and the times he spent with her on the Citadel during the search for Saren. He remembered bringing her to lunch when she had nothing else to do, and feeling the chemistry between them really begin to develop. He missed her, dearly.

He couldn't lie, seeing her on Freedom's Progress really screwed with him. Ever since he got there, he's been wondering what else could be said. He hadn't revealed how he felt, as he figured that would have been a costly mistake. He didn't want to lose her friendship. He didn't want her to feel as if he was pushing for more than what she wanted. A small part of him believed that she felt the same way, and his entire being wanted to believe that was true, but he just didn't want to be the one pushing. He was older than Tali, not by much, but he was still older. Not to mention, he just didn't want to make it awkward. Not without knowing beforehand.

* * *

When they were riding the elevators to the Presidium, Logan put his cigar out. Since he didn't wanna put it out on the nice elevator, he put it out on his tongue. The sounds of his pain echoed in the small elevator, and the other two grimaced. That had to have hurt.

"Fack you guyth." His tongue had a giant hole in it, and he spoke funny. The other two would have chuckled, had he not been standing there with a hole on his tongue. It healed fairly quickly, but it was still quite disturbing to see. One of the things about Logan, really. Getting used to a man who could be blown apart by whatever weapon, or method, of doing so, and him being completely fine. He remembered seeing the man's skull, and seeing his eyeball heal back into the socket. While it was incredibly fascinating to watch the process, it was also incredibly disgusting.

They finally reached Anderson's office, and Shepard looked over to the two men.

"Listen, I need you two to hold your tongue in there. I get that you both have...Colorful language when you'd like to-and believe me-I'd love to tear these guys down a peg, but I need the Council on our side. Understood?" Logan twitched at the tone of Shepard's voice, but nodded. He needed to appear this way to the public, rather than appear casual.

As they walked through the door, they saw a black man standing, and looking out towards the Presidium.

"Oh, Commander! We were just speaking about you." The pleasant, rich voice of the man was Heaven on the Commander's ears. It has been much too long since he heard the man's voice, and the presence of the man was immediately soothing to him. Anderson was the closest thing to a father Shepard has ever had. He was there with him from the very start, seeing the potential in the young kid who enlisted at eighteen.

"All good things, I assume? It's been a long time, Anderson, too damn long. I hope the past two years have treated you well? You look great in those fashionable clothes." He said, and lightly punched the man's arm. Anderson chuckled, and shot a grin back at the younger man.

"There have been some rough spots, trust me. It's damn good to have you back, though, Commander." He said, and his eyes told the Commander all he needed to know.

"We've heard many rumors surrounding your return...Some of them are unpleasant." The Salarian's voice broke into the reunion, and even Logan felt a tinge of annoyance at this fact. He wasn't one for sappy moments, but from what he had gathered, Anderson was one of Shepard's only human friends.

"We called this meeting so you could explain your actions, Shepard. We owe you that much. After all, you saved our lives from Saren and his Geth." The Asari councilor said, and Shepard turned. He lifted the helmet off of his head, and placed it on his hip, where it magnetized.

"The Collectors are abducting human colonists in the Terminus systems. Worse, we think they're working for the Reapers." Shepard's rich voice called back to the Asari, who stood a little straighter at the names he threw out. Logan's icy eyes darted between the separate councilors, noting that they didn't believe the man.

"The Terminus systems are beyond our jurisdiction! You Humans knew this when you left Council Space." The arrogant flanged voice of the Turian Councilor, Sparatus, echoed around the chamber. Logan heard Shepard's teeth grind together, and noticed his breathing was much deeper than normal. Anderson noticed as well.

"You're missing the point. The Reapers are involved as well." Anderson said, and Logan saw the outrage on the council's faces.

"Ah, yes. Reapers," He used his hands to use air quotes, a strange sight, but one that was entirely unwelcome, "The immortal race of sentient starships allegedly waiting in dark space. Thought we already dismissed that claim." Condescending amusement was clearly in the Turian's voice, and Shepard's heart exploded in activity. He began to sweat, and his face was clearly becoming red.

"Shepard, no one else but you saw the vision on Ilos. Only you and your crew spoke with Sovereign." Shepard shook a little bit, and Anderson felt as if he needed to reassure him.

" _I_ believe you, but without evidence from another source, the other counselors believe that Saren was behind the Geth attacks." He said, and Shepard's eyes fall back to the Council, who stood there expectantly.

"Okay, go back to Ilos and talk to Vigil. Or just look at what's left of Sovereign...The technology is clearly far beyond our own!" Shepard said, desperately trying to keep his cool.

"The hologram on Ilos is no longer functional, and there is nothing to suggest that Sovereign was not a Geth creation." The Salarian quickly dismissed the Commander, who needed to take a second for himself.

"The Geth are capable of remarkable technological achievements, Commander Shepard. This is, most likely, the reason that Saren had recruited them." Ever the Asari, the councilor attempted to rationalize this, rather than realize that there was no rationalizating. The Commander's fist began to grip so tightly that his armor began to crack. Logan's lips pull a small smirk. Seeing the Commander so worked up was something he had been waiting for, rather than the humor he was accustomed to.

"This Reaper theory proves just how fragile your mind is, Commander. You've been weak minded since the beginning. First you were manipulated by Saren, and now? Now you're being manipulated by Cerberus." The Commander's eyes began to twitch, and Garrus and Logan both take a step closer, so as to grab an arm each if need be. Anderson laid a hand on the man's forearm, and look him in the eye.

Shepard's heart drummed against his ribcage. His insides were on fire. His blood was boiling. A bead of sweat dripped down his cheek. His limbs were light, and his head was clouded. His hands were closed hard enough that he could hear his knuckles straining. He was trembling. That much he was aware of. He has been humiliated, and insulted by the very fucking people he had saved. They would treat their savior like a dog who had just shit on their carpet?

"How about this, _Councilors_? Saren was an organic. The Geth would never accept _him_ as their leader. _They_ only followed _him_ because he was _Sovereign_ 's agent!" He practically shouted at them. Anderson quickly turned his head, and lifted an eyebrow. Shepard was rarely one to lose his temper, but certain things got under his skin extremely quickly. Being undermined and doubted was amongst the top of his list.

"Saren was a compelling and charismatic individual, Commander. He had convinced the Geth into this story about the Reapers, and he did the same to you." Shepard took a very deep breath at this one. Breathing through his nose, even the Councilors heard it.

"It was all apart of his plan to attack the Citadel. The Reapers are just a myth. One you refuse to accept is just that. A MYTH." The Turian spoke down to Shepard, who had begun to pace in his spot.

"We believe that you believe that they exist, Commander. However, that does not mean that they do." She stated as if she ended the entire conversation. Shepard looked up to them, and his angry eyes settled on the Asari.

" _I_ kept Saren from conquering the Citadel. I _sacrificed_ human lives to save all of your asses. You're going to do this to _me?_ The one man who pulled _your_ ass out of the fucking fire?" He shot at them. Barely concealed rage twisting every word. Logan chuckled quietly to himself, Garrus beginning to smirk with him.

"We find ourselves in a difficult position, Commander. You are working for Cer-"

"I'm not working for them, _Councilor_. I am working with the Illusive Man, and my own goddamn team, to save lives that you aren't willing to save." The Commander interrupted, and the Asari patiently held her hands up.

"Please do not interrupt me, Shepard. They are an avowed enemy to the Council. This is treason. A capital offense." Her voice hinted at a suggestion. The Commander paused and froze. He looked at them as if they had all grown a second head.

"That's too goddamn far. Shepard's a damn hero. I'm a part of this Council, too, and I refuse to let this whitewashing _bullshit_ continue!" Anderson's eyes were smoldering flames. Clearly more concentrated and controlled than the much younger Commander, but he was nearly as pissed.

"Maybe there is a compromise. Not a public acknowledgment, given your ties, but something to show...Peripheral support." Shepard snorted, and Logan began to chuckle aloud.

"Shepard, if you keep a low profile and keep your operations to the Terminus system, the Council is willing to offer you your former Spectre status." Sparatus said, clearly disgusted by the idea of the Human being back to his old position.

"Ooh, do I get to write reports?" Shepard snapped at the man, sarcastically. The Turian gave him a single scathing look, knowing that the man would tear him apart if anything else was to be said.

"Your reinstatement shows that we, the Council, personally support you." The Asari said, seemingly pleased with her cleverness. Shepard nearly rolled his eyes at the woman's confidence in her mental abilities, and his lip pulled back into a sneer. He quickly controlled his face. Hiding the rage he felt behind his eyes, he looked back up.

"I accept your offer." He tried to keep sarcasm out of his voice, but it was much harder than one would believe.

"Good luck with your investigation, Commander. We hope for a quick resolution, and a quick end to your relationship with Cerberus." They fade out, and Shepard's arm immediately snaps. He grabs the helmet on his hip and throws it with every single ounce of strength he has. It smashed into the wall, and the visor breaks from the force. His cybernetic enhancements greatly enhanced his already formidable strength.

"Useless pieces of shit!" He stormed the room, and growled to himself. Logan looked at the sight with amusement, but he was just as annoyed. He always hated slimeball politicians, and he felt for the Commander. The Council would doom them all with their stupidity, that much could be seen. Garrus placed a heavy hand on the man's shoulder, and Shepard turned quickly.

"Shepard, I get it. You're pissed, but right now isn't the time. You know that." He said, and Shepard immediately realized where he was. He slowly approached his helmet and lifted it. Logan looked at it, and an eyebrow rose a bit.

"Nice throw, Shep." He commented. He heard Anderson chuckle a bit, and they all look to the man.

"Well. That went better than I expected. Knowing you, I expected a verbal lashing. We both know the Council won't do shit. This was symbolic. Politics." He practically spit the last word out, causing a smile to fall onto Shepard's ground team's faces. Logan chuckled.

"Even if they don't help, there's no point having them as an enemy. Although I wonder if I should've saved those ungrateful assholes." The Commander replied, and Anderson nodded.

"So, you wanna introduce me to this interesting man over here? I already know Mr. Vakarian, good to see you, son." The Turian in question nodded respectfully to the man, and Logan stepped forward. Anderson was a couple inches taller than he, but wasn't nearly as built. The two men shook hands.

"Anderson, this is Logan. Logan, this is Anderson." Logan nodded respectfully, and the man did the same.

"Good to meet you, son." Logan looked at the man.

"Ditto." Anderson looked at Shepard questioning the man's attitude, but just got a chuckle.

"Anderson, we need to talk about-Shepard? What the hell are you doing here?" An unpleasant man said, as he walked into the room. Logan looked at the man, and his guard was immediately up. His eyes narrowed as the man walked forward, and Shepard forced a smile onto his face. It was as if someone spray painted it there.

"I stopped by to see how Anderson was doing. Not that it's any of your goddamn business, Udina." He said, turning to the much shorter man. Udina was even shorter than Logan, and frail in build. Logan chuckled at the Commander's attitude. A good man that takes no one's bullshit. Garrus and Anderson smirked at the Commander's less than subtle way of telling to man to fuck off.

"You don't have to cover for me, son. I invited Shepard here to speak with the Council. We just finished our meeting." Anderson said, watching the little man's face redden.

"You _what?_ Anderson, do the words, 'political shitstorm,' have any goddamn meaning to you?" The Commander stepped in front of the man, and placed an arm on Anderson, ushering him behind the Commander.

"Don't talk to him like that, Udina. Not while I'm around. By the way, they reinstated me as a Spectre. They're just happy I'm staying out in the Terminus system." The Commander challenged the much smaller man to say another word on the subject, one that the man in question was not willing to push.

"Yes...I can see how this 'arrangement' can be beneficial to both sides. You _really_ shouldn't have taken a step like this without me, Anderson." The Commander stepped forward to defend Anderson's honor, but the man held up a hand.

"I don't answer to you, Udina. I'm above your payroll. Now how about you go to your office, and take a little to think long and hard about that. Hmm?" Anderson's eyes were intense, and Logan laughed at his expense.

"Of course, _Councilor_. Good day to you both." He said, clearly ignoring Garrus and Logan.

"What a shithead." Logan said to himself, and relit his cigar. He took a drag, and the men looked at him. Shepard chuckled, while Anderson just nodded slowly.

"Sorry about that. He's still upset he didn't get the Council seat, and I need to put him in his place from time to time." He said, looking over to the Commander.

"Udina's always been a pain in the balls. What's different now?" The men all shared a laugh. Shepard realized he must be going, and so he stood for a second.

"I wish I had more time to catch up, Councilor. I've gotta get moving. Have to recruit a master thief. The usual." He said, and the two chuckled. Logan and Garrus stayed put, as the two men walked a bit forward, apparently wanting privacy for a couple moments.

"Shepard, it's damn good to have you back, son. Your presence in the galaxy is only going to make things better. It was good seeing you. Make sure you stay in touch." He said, and the two shook hands. Shepard met back up with the two, and nodded to them.

"Now, let's head back to the ship. I'm pretty sure I saw an Asian woman's face on a terminal that didn't belong there." Shepard said, and they made their way out of the Presidium. Easily walking back towards the shuttle to the docks, Shepard looked over to Logan, who had finally finished his cigar. With two thick fingers, the man flicked the cigar a good distance away from them, and blinked uncaringly.

* * *

When they spotted the advertisement screen, they noticed the lights on it flickering, and obviously tampered with.

"Ooh, this should be interesting." Garrus said, and his mandibles twitched in amusement. Logan grunted, and shifted his weight to his other foot. Shepard approached the screen, and the image changed to that of a hooded Asian woman.

"Please tell me your password, Commander Shepard." She said, a tone of amusement and mock seriousness in her voice.

"Silence is golden." He shot back, just as amused as she was. She grinned widely.

"Good to finally meet you, Commander. My name's Kasumi Goto. I'm a fan." She had a tinge of admiration in her voice, and the man nods. He smiles gently.

"Has Cerberus filled you in on the mission?" He asked, and his eyes harden at the mention of the organization. Even hearing it could darken his mood.

"Honestly? I'm shocked they didn't come to me sooner. Although, that could be my fault. I am pretty hard to find." She flashed him a mischievous grin, and he chuckled lightly. Garrus also had to cough to refrain from doing the same. Logan was fairly bored by it all, and wished he could grab some booze.

"So...What's with the password, and the sneaking around? You in any trouble that I should know about?" Shepard asked with a raised eyebrow, making the thief laugh.

"I'm the best thief in the business, not the most known. Need to watch my step to keep it that way, don't I?" Her question brought a smile to his face. Even if thievery wasn't among his top ten favorite list of what people may do in life, he was willing to admit that she was an amusing character, to say the least.

"I also needed to make sure that this was legit. People don't exactly just come back from the dead, you know. I have no doubt now, you're the real Commander Shepard." The advertisement went dark, and he was completely confused.

Logan had already smelled, and heard where the woman was. So, he elbowed the man in the side, and pointed to where she was. The Commander chuckled, and she had a smile on her face, clearly amused by his utter confusion.

"I thought we should wrap this up. You look pretty funny talking to an advertisement, you know. I'll see you on the ship, Shepard." She said, and suddenly disappeared from sight. A disembodied laugh was all that could be heard. Logan growled, and his eyes darken.

"You think she's going to help in any way, Shepard?" He asked, and turned to the Commander. The man looked up at Logan, and simply raised an eyebrow.

"None of us have seen her in action, Logan. Relax. I'm sure TIM wouldn't have suggested her if he wasn't confident in her skills." He said. He was disgusted by his reasoning, but it was true. The Illusive Man was much too proud to suggest people who would hinder the Commander on his mission. He stared darkly at the Normandy, and nudged his head in the ship's direction.

"Come on, you two. Let's get the hell outta this armor, and take the night off. First round's on me." Logan's smirk grew on his face, and he looked over to the two. Immediately they were on guard, and in fear of what he might do in the upcoming future.

* * *

He quickly took his helm off, and placed it in his locker. He looked over to the Commander, who was doing the same thing. He cracked his neck, and started with the chest piece. It fell off of him, and landed on the floor with a dull thud. His back piece also did the same. He placed them together, hearing the click sound that ensured they were connected. He placed them back in the locker, before taking his gauntlets off. He opened and closed his hands a few times. Moving down to the legs, he quickly proceeded to take off the heavily armored boots, and placed them at the bottom of his locker, before throwing his leg and shin guards in the locker with them.

He turned to the other two men in his underwear, and a plain white undershirt that he had found. He was also wearing socks. The two men chuckled at his appearance, until he growled at them. He turned, and walked into the elevator, ignoring the people who stared at the man's lack of clothing.

When he had finally thrown on the crewman's pants, he stood straight, and threw his boots on. He walked over to where the powerful biotic was holed up, and walked down the stairs. The sound of his boots clunking against the stairs dragged her attention from the datapads to the sound. Upon seeing him, her eyes lightened a bit, but she quickly put her mask of anger back on. Logan nodded to her.

"Hey." She said, pretending to be completely disinterested. He chuckled, and she snapped her eyes back towards him.

"Something funny?" She challenged, and stood up. She was short. Standing at five feet and three inches, she was much shorter than he. Something he was surprised by. Since the health of the human race has been so much better, humans had been becoming taller. Their diets were at the most protein-based since the stone age, bringing the average human male height back to around six feet, if not more. The average woman stood around five feet and eight inches. Clearly, she was left behind the curve.

"Yeah. You." Her skin began to glow blue, and he cracked a smile. He closed his fists, and straightened his wrists. With the horrible sound of metal scraping against metal, his claws were out, and she looked down at them.

"What the fuck? Listen. I don't know what you find so goddamn funny, but I'll fucking tell you now. I'm not some joke. I've killed better people for a lot less." She threatened, and he took a step forward. Without even pausing, he was right in front of her. She looked into his eyes, and couldn't lie to herself. She was very turned on right now.

"You don't gotta act like the big baddie around me, darlin'." He whispered into her ear, and hovered his lips close to hers for effect. She felt her heart pound against her chest, and she wanted more than anything to grab him. She felt like she was in a trance, and he pulled away.

"Commander's giving us the night off. Meet me at Flux if you're brave enough." She watched his-admittedly-very nice ass as he turned around, and walked away. His broad back and shoulders made her quiver in anticipation, and want.

"What the fuck am I doing?" She asked, as she finally snapped back to reality. She stood straight, and decided to wait. If she went there too soon, she'd seem like she really wanted to go. Even if she did, she would never let Logan know that.

* * *

When she finally had made it to the club, she grimaced at the music that was being played, and downright sent dirty looks at the people around her. They were all the same. Idiots who had to spend their time with people they don't know to make themselves feel better. Escape their lives, and the entire bullshit. Despite hating them, a part of her envied their ability to do that. To just be able to forget about their lives, and pretend as if they weren't who they truly were. She shook her head, and continued towards the bar, scaring away anyone who was stupid enough to look her way.

Her heart sped up a little at the sight of Logan's broad back. He was leaning against the bar, obviously waiting for a drink. She quickly composed herself, but couldn't help noticing that he was chuckling at something. Right when she was going to announce her presence, he cleared his throat. She wondered how the fuck he does that, but that's a question for later.

"How long have you been watchin' me?" He asked, and turned around. He leaned back against the bar, and put his elbows up, lazily. A cigar hung out of his mouth, and he seemed to be in a decent mood. She stared at his chest, and his arms, and back up to his face. Lifting an eyebrow, she let her dark eyes meet his own icy ones. All in all, he wasn't a bad looking man by any means. He had wild hair, and a very outdated facial hair style, but it fit him. He looked wild. Feral. Untamed. It drove her wild. He had a strong jaw, thick eyebrows, and a regular nose. He had smile lines around his lips.

"Too goddamn long. You're one ugly motherfucker." She said, and he laughed. She cracked a small smile at the man's reaction. She was disappointed, though. She was really hoping it would bother him. She wasn't going to lie, a bit of her was still pissed off at him for what he had done earlier. He knew she was attracted to him, and totally got her going. Was she that easy to get to? She wondered if it was just him, or any guy like him.

"Hey, whatcha gonna do? Not all of us can be pretty." He turned back towards the bar, as the Asari woman handed him two drinks. Two beers were in his hands, and he turned towards her. He handed her one bottle, and allowed himself to get closer to her. He smelled her scent, and was surprised by how feminine it was. He hadn't paid attention, before, but he wasn't exactly sure what he expected. Sure, he didn't just expect her to smell bad, but he didn't expect her to smell like a feminine soap. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, and he really got a look at her.

If he was to be honest...For a bald chick? She was pretty hot. Mix in the attitude, and the biotics? She was wildly hot. Her dark eyes, with the makeup, definitely were a strong point of her face. Next were the tattoos. He wouldn't lie to himself, she got him going. But, three centuries of hormones and bodily functions has given the man a near saint-like patience when it came to women, and his attraction to them. He heard her heartbeat, and he could smell her scents whenever he was around. She wanted him. She just didn't know what his game was. He smiled at the thought of it. Maybe it was just a game. Maybe it wasn't.

"So...You gonna say something, or you just gonna smile like a fucking idiot all night?" She asked him, and he chuckled. He took a deep swig of his beer, and sighed in content.

"Well, darlin'...I'm not exactly an Asari on the dancefloor, and I'm shit at conversation." He said, and looked over to her. She laughed at his honestly, and nodded. If it was one thing that they had in common, it was their lack of tolerance for bullshit. Logan left it to the Commander to talk, and to ask questions. He didn't need to know shit, and he didn't need to tell people shit. He needed to do what he needs to do, and that's it. That's always how he's been, and that would probably never change. She was the same way. Talking was for politicians, cowards, and weak people. Well, that was what they thought.

"I used to love dancing. Hell, I'm probably shit at it, too. Who gives a fuck what meaningless people think?" She shot back at him, and sipped her own beer. He nodded his head. She had a point, there was no reason to consider what people he didn't care about thought about what he did.

With that, he drank the rest of his beer, and let her finish hers. He put his cigar in an ashtray. When she placed her drink down, he closed a large hand over her small wrist, and pulled her to the dance floor. He could see her energy change as she began to ascend the steps. She seemed to drop a ton of weight off her shoulders, and began to bounce loosely to the beat, eventually getting a feel for the rhythm. He grimaced at the songs they were playing. He always hated dance music, but, he couldn't deny he was having a good time.

For nearly a half hour they simply moved to the music. He was having fun, he wasn't gonna lie. She laughed at his shitty dancing, and he was mesmerised by her sultry dancing. She moved to the music extremely gracefully. It was surprising. With her personality, he expected her to dance like a dude. He watched as she threw her hands up in the air, and her hips swayed back and forth. A burst of longing began to settle in his lower regions.

She obviously saw him watching her. When she really began to put on a show, she watched his movements slow, as he continued to stare. She smirked to herself, as she began to purposely show off as much of her body as possible to him. While she wasn't even buzzed, she had entertained the idea of clawing at Logan's back as he pumped into her. She was going to get what she wanted. She always did...

When a particularly steamy song came on, she shamelessly pressed against him. She felt a spike of nerves as he originally froze, but within a second had his rough hands on her chest, as she grinded against him. Her shape melded into his, as he danced to the beat with her. When he felt it get a little too hot, he made a weak attempt at pulling away, but a shamelessly mischievous smirk fell on her face, as she pressed into him even harder.

He had to stifle a groan, as people began to whistle and watch them. He tuned them out, and ran his hands up and down her toned stomach and hips. He could feel her skin begin to heat up underneath his hands, and the primal side of his brain began to scream in protest. It was attempting to break free. He had two options here: Give in, and make this a night she'll never forget, or back out. The second was probably the best idea, but it was too good of chance to pass up. He wouldn't be the pussy to back down once it got this far. Not even close.

She continued to press against him, completely feeling him against her. She felt his hard...Well...Everything. She smirked, as she felt something rubbing against her thigh. She turned, and immediately looked into his eyes. Her dark ones met his intense icy blue ones. They press against one another again, and she continues to grind against him. He growls into her ear, something she heard over the loud music. She quivers at the sound, and her own wild eyes look up to his. A hungry look was in his eyes, and she returned it.

"Let's get outta here." She whispered to him. Despite them only speaking for a couple weeks, she knew this man was someone she'd lay. It was obvious from day one. She was very attracted to him.

They walk past Garrus and Shepard, who simply watched them with a majorly confused and disgusted look on their faces.

"Shepard...?"

"Yeah?"

"What the Hell was that?"

"I believe the psychotic biotic found her match." Their faces pale at the thought, and they both blank. They both look at each other, before spinning around.

"Bottle of your hardest!" They cry out at the same time.

* * *

When they had reached her spot on the Normandy, they were immediately stepping into action. She grabbed him, and pulled him closer, kissing him roughly. He growled as she bit his lip, and pulled away, the pain mixing with the pleasure that began to burn through his veins.

"I ever tell you how hot that sounds?" She asked, as he quickly ripped her pants off. He noticed she didn't wear underwear, and he chuckles. He quickly lifts his shirt over his head, and she acts immediately. She pushed him on the bed, and landed on top of him. She kisses the middle of his chest, before looking in his eyes, and trailing down to his stomach, and then even lower. She smirked as she grabbed his pants, and pulled them off of him. She sat up, and looked him in the eyes.

"Ready for a night you won't forget?" She asked. Her voice was thick with desire, and her chest rose and fell with the frantic beating of her heart.

"You talk too fuckin' much." He said, and she smiled. When he had her on the cot, her belly down, and her back up, he noticed how vulnerable she seemed. He growled softly, and leaned over her. Biting into her neck, he felt her shiver underneath him.

* * *

After a lot of alcohol, the two gentlemen finally settled down. Garrus looks over to Shepard, who is lying against the bar. The man in question looks up to the Turian, and sends a questioning look. Garrus chuckled.

"I think I threw up in my mouth a little when Logan and Jack left. If it weren't the most dangerous Human in the galaxy, and the most dangerous biotic in the galaxy, I would totally cockblock him." He laughed, and Shepard sat up, joining in on the laughter. It was true. If it was one thing that Garrus Vakarian was good at, it was totally cockblocking a man. It was extremely entertaining to watch the master go to work. It was one of Shepard's favorite past times. When it wasn't directed towards him, of course.

"It's good, Garrus. If they just wanna blow off steam, it'll help for the mission. Make them focus, ya know? Am I making sense?" He asked, as the alcohol clearly made its way into his system. His words were slurred, and he wasn't sure what he was saying, really. Garrus nodded, clearly understanding.

"Yeah...Yeah. I agree. It's like calibrating a gun...The gun would still fire without the calibrating...But would it be as efficient?" Garrus asked, making the Commander look over to him, his mouth agape.

"Garrus, you're a genius!" The Commander shouted out, stupidly. Garrus and he clanked shot glasses, and quickly threw them back. The bitter taste of alcohol wasn't even an issue at this point. They both were drunk beyond comprehension, and didn't even notice the-usually-bothersome properties of the beverage. The Commander slammed the cup down, and sighed loudly in content. He looked over to his friend, who looked back over to him.

"Oh, we're so gonna regret this, tomorrow." The Turian said, and they both laughed. Garrus looked over to the man, and the one sober part of his mind suddenly came forward.

"So...Shepard, my best friend. My Commander. The most dashing, daring, and the second most handsome person on the Normandy..." Garrus began, and the Commander laughed.

"What's going on with you and a...Certain Quarian...? I know for a _fact_ that you two are not, ' _just friends_ ,' as you like to put it." The Commander was floored by the question. In his drunken stupor, things really became clear. Sure, he was piss drunk, but that didn't mean he wasn't the same person. He really searched for the answer for this one.

"Well, wha-what do you mean? Like, do I find her attractive?" He looked over to the Turian, who drunkenly waved an arm.

"No...No...I mean *hic* do you _like_ her?" He shot a shit eating grin to the Commander, who sat at his stool for a moment, absolutely floored by his question.

"Tough question, man. I think I do...Is that a bad thing?" He looked over, and saw Garrus looking at him, as if expecting more than just that. It was hard to get serious while in this state, and he quickly just broke out into a stupid fit of giggles. Garrus joined soon. It was true. Tali was a good woman, even if she wasn't human. She was fiercely loyal, attractive as can be, and her very presence seemed to calm him. She was possibly the most positive influence to him on the original Normandy. Between Kaidan, Garrus, and Wrex, they constantly were up to some form of mischief, and she managed to reign him back a bit.

"Not even a little. I'm happy for you, Shepard. After all the bullshit that's been thrown your way, a *hic* girl like Tali is what you need. Strong, smart, and _spirits_ those hips." Garrus said, and Shepard nodded. He poured another shot, and Garrus did the same.

"I'll drink to that. To us!" Garrus said, as if he wasn't the one to voice his opinion. Shepard and him smash their glasses together, or planned to, because they had completely missed each other's glasses.

"And to Tali's hips, for being a sight that drops jaws all around the galaxy!" Shepard said, and the two old friends began to laugh even harder.

* * *

They, in their drunken foolishness, were a center of attention. They loved it. Both of them made their way to the dance floor, and drunkenly began to dance. Of course, Shepard couldn't dance while sober, so his drunken state didn't help whatsoever.

"Garrus, I'm about to pull the ultimate power move." Shepard said, as he swayed to the music, gently.

"What is is, _Commander_?" Garrus swayed to the music, and Shepard held up a hand. He took a deep breath, and began doing-quite possibly-the goofiest dance Garrus had ever seen. Laughter broke out all over the dance floor, and Garrus bent over, quickly running out of breath. Tears streamed down his face, and Shepard ignored them.

"Ya know what? I'm gonna call it *hic* the Shepard Shuffle!"

 **Sorry, my dudes. Since this was clearly a filler chapter, I had no idea what to fill it with. What do you guys think? Should I have held off with Logan and Jack? Problem is, attempting to write them accurate to their characters really pressured me. Let's be real, when Logan is into a chick, she knows. He doesn't give a shit. That's the epitome of the character. Jack's the same. When she wants someone, she's utterly shameless about it. So, I have no doubt that they'd be attracted to each other, and I have no doubt a-possibly-deep relationship would start off as nothing but sex between a man and woman who are clearly attracted to one another. Review, and tell me what you think. I'll get going on chapter four, and attempt to publish it a week from today.**


End file.
